Public Art Expression of Interest - Smith Street Streetscape Improvement Project

As part of the Smith Street Streetscape project, City of Darwin is calling for expressions of interest from Darwin-based visual artists and collaborators to help further transform the iconic city street.

The Smith Street Streetscape project will see a cool, green and dynamic pedestrian hub created in the heart of the city centre, with public art further enhancing the amenity of the area.

There are up to four opportunities spanning the length of the Smith Street Streetscape Improvement project including:

• three opportunities for horizontal road murals and/or integrated visual art; and
• one opportunity for multiple small-scale sculptures and/or integrated visual art.

Theme

City of Darwin is looking for artists to enhance the Smith Street Streetscape by enriching the surrounding space and stimulating the imagination.

Artists are invited, in a site-specific way, to explore and respond to the theme of Interconnection. 

Interconnection is a condition in which multiple things are connected to one another in a complex and mutually dependent way. It refers to the intricate relationships and interactions between people, places, and the environment. In biology, an ecosystem is an interconnection of living and non-living components that work together to sustain life.

Traffic intersections create moments of social connection for pedestrians and, more literally, intersections are where roads connect. In art, human connections are made when the viewer interacts with an artwork via one or more of the five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch) and the interaction elicits an emotional response. 

Artists are encouraged to consider the concept of interconnection in a contemporary and distinctly Darwin manner, highlighting the vibrancy and colour of our eclectic city. 

The successful artist/s will be paid up to $20,000, and the works may be used for visual interventions on roadways, vertical infrastructure, urban furniture and stand-alone small-scale sculptures.

Payments may include funds for the creation and installation depending on the work or may be focused on artists' fees only. Payments will vary according to the scope and type of public art opportunity. 

EOI’s open on Friday 9 August and close 11.59pm 8 September 2024.

Important EOI Information

Submit an Expression of Interest

For more information or assistance submitting an EOI please email arts@darwin.nt.gov.au

The project is funded by the Northern Territory Government and delivered by City of Darwin.

Guided site visits

As part of the EOI process, City of Darwin officers will host two guided site visits of the Smith Street Streetscape Improvement project for potential applicants, where there will be an opportunity to explore the area and ask questions in person. 

The guided site visits will run: 

• Thursday 22 August 2024, 10.00am
• Wednesday 28 August 2024, 5.15pm.

Tours will leave from Raintree Park, adjacent to The Mall. 

Please email arts@darwin.nt.gov.au to register your interest in attending the site visits and indicate which event you will be attending, you are welcome to attend both.
 
Image: Flux (detail), Amina McConvell 2018