General News
1 June, 2023
Art Gallery redevelopment exhibited as part of Venice Biennale
The Central Goldfields Art Gallery has been featured at the Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy — bringing the local attraction to the world stage in what’s expected to boost visitor numbers. The design for the redeveloped gallery was...
The Central Goldfields Art Gallery has been featured at the Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy — bringing the local attraction to the world stage in what’s expected to boost visitor numbers.
The design for the redeveloped gallery was submitted into the 2023 Venice Biennale, likened to the Olympics of the art world, by project architects Nervegna Reed Architecture as part of the Unsettling Queenstown exhibition in the Australian Pavilion.
Each architect was asked to prepare drawings of their project which described the design tactics used to Indigenise the built environment through the project for the annual cultural exhibition.
Toby Reed of Nervegna Reed Architecture said it was an honour to not only have the work featured internationally but to give international recognition to the gallery — a project he said they have been proud to work on.
“As part of the submission we created three drawings — which included photos of the gallery — that explained our design methodology for the redevelopment of the Central Goldfields Art Gallery,” he said.
“It detailed how we aimed to include multiple narratives, histories and points of view within the spaces, particularly allowing Djaara perspectives and history to connect via the cutting of spatial channels through the gallery and into the garden.
“For each drawing we wrote a description which was on the wall with the picture and visitors could also take a copy to study at home. The wall display also included QR codes for visitors to look at more photos of the gallery.
“Curators also produced a postcard of one of our drawings for visitors to take home showing a ‘worms-eye’ view of the gallery, looking through the floor to the spaces above.”
The more than $2 million redevelopment of the gallery was completed in March this year and has completely transformed the space — stripping it back in a way that acknowledges the history of the space as Maryborough’s fire station dating back to 1861.
Central Goldfields Shire mayor Grace La Vella said the gallery’s redevelopment was the realisation of a vision, which has now been presented on the global stage.
“This gallery is now on the international stage — how good is that? You couldn’t wish or hope for anything more,” she said.
“We didn’t expect initially that this redevelopment of the 1861 fire station would ever get to this point.
“This is a credit to gallery staff and council because this is the realisation of a vision — we saw the potential in this gallery from the outset.
“We are overjoyed with the care and effort the architects have taken in delivering on our vision.”
The gallery’s redevelopment has already driven an upswing in visitation numbers, with the Biennale expected to further boost this, Central Goldfields Shire Council manager tourism, events and culture Rosalie Hastwell said.
“We’re certainly projecting and are already seeing an uplift in visitation at the gallery and we are looking at that growing exponentially in the coming years,” she said.
“Alongside that is the development of the Indigenous Interpretive Garden outside the gallery which will strengthen that attraction even further.
“We are also very much looking at this development in the context of the whole precinct — this end of the town is being redeveloped with a new hospital as well which features it’s own Indigenous interpretation which ties in well with what we’re developing here.
“This redeveloped gallery celebrates the heritage that’s here from gold rush days and also uncovers, shares and reveals along with the traditional owners what this country has been and how important it is as Dja Dja Wurrung country.”
Gallery coordinator Helen Kaptein made special mention of the architects, who she said have turned the gallery into a reflective work of art in itself.
“The architects have really thought about this building which is one of the oldest in Maryborough, what they’ve done is removed what might have been extraneous and created multiple viewpoints,” she said.
“The responses we’re receiving are really joyful, there’s so much happiness in being in this space and seeing the reaction of visitors is a reward in itself.”