Rooku on Trains/Moving Galleries Project
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 will see the launch of the Moving Galleries Spring 2007 Exhibition
at Flinders Street Station by The Minister for the Arts and Public Transport, The Hon. Lynne
Kosky.
Moving Galleries is a travelling exhibition of art and poetry which enables emerging and
established Victorian artists to showcase their talent. It is also designed to enhance the travel
experience for Melbourne's train commuters, and build on Melbourne's reputation as a thriving
cultural and creative capital.
In keeping with the Moving Galleries pilot, launched in April 2006, the Moving Galleries Spring
2007 Exhibition will feature 36 unique decals (self-adhesive posters) affixed to the inside walls of
Connex suburban trains. However, the Moving Galleries Spring 2007 Exhibition will ride on 40
trains - twice as many as last year - and will feature artwork celebrating spring as a time of
renewal, and poetry about a range of topics including Melbourne icons.
Eighteen of the Spring 2007 decals will carry poetry in the 'rooku' style, submitted by Victorians of
all ages and from all walks of life, including a Grade 3 class and a factory hand, as well as
professional poets. The other 18 decals will carry artwork by emerging artists, mostly living and
working in inner-city Melbourne, who were sourced via local Artist-Run Initiatives (ARIs).
A new initiative – the Moving Galleries Spring 2007 People's Choice Awards - will allow the public
to vote for their favourite poem or artwork, via the Moving Galleries website. The successful artist
and poet, announced in April 2008, will each receive $500, and a lucky member of the public who
votes will also take away a prize, to the value of $500.
With sponsorship from Connex and the Department of Infrastructure, and the support of the
Committee for Melbourne, Moving Galleries will run bi-annual exhibitions, launched each spring
and autumn, over the next 3 years. The launch on 24 October will be followed by a celebration
with the talented artists and poets whose work was selected for the exhibition.
For more information, log onto www.movinggalleries.org