Connecting with communities through art and culture

retail has taken a stimulating and artistic turn across a number of Mirvac Retail centres with a major partnership with the Brisbane Street Art Festival (BSAF) the latest iteration of bricks-and-mortar surfaces of shopping centres being transformed into large scale and immersive works of art. Kelly Miller, General Manager, Retail said: “Mirvac is curating an art program across our portfolio of centres to celebrate and share art in our local communities; exploring the medium and its impact in the urban context. “Art provides an incredible way for us to connect with our communities. The artists can help us all see things differently when it comes to a retail environment and our communities are loving it.” Kelly said. The BSAF activation at Toombul provides a striking legacy in a community that warmly welcomes and embraces its art At Toombul in Brisbane, we surrendered more than 10 high impact areas of the centre to local and international artists to virtually run amok among our columns and grey walls to inject their humour, perspective, and eye for beauty and theatre, in bold and brilliant scale for the Brisbane Street Art Festival (BSAF). With a supporting program of live performance art, panel talks, exhibitions and workshops hosted in a pop-up art studio, the BSAF partnership built on the success of the centre’s regular sell-out artisan and maker workshops, which appeal to the artistic abilities of the local community by allowing them to participate, rather than just observe, art. Art has been breaking free of its traditional frames and gallery walls for a long time. Rather than seeing street art as taboo, Mirvac embraces art and this new culture of public expression to bring about a deeper connection to its urban communities. Art has always been a cultural connector and reflects the community it emerges from. The spectacular BSAF activation provides a striking legacy in a community that warmly welcomes and embraces its art. But it’s by no means the first in our centres. The retail powerhouse Broadway Sydney has floors of internal and external artworks, accumulated through activations and curated installations over the years. Art For All in 2018 saw five Sydney artists commissioned for installations in the refurbished Level One and Two developments, followed by Art Month in March 2019, celebrated with a yarn bombing showcase by Alison Thompson; and playful, colourful street monsters as pop-up painted murals appearing from local artist Ginger Taylor. Broadway Sydney, Art For All in 2018 Nearby Tramsheds took a digital path for Art Month to highlight much of its hidden heritage art with an Augmented Reality app. The historic Tramsheds building at Harold Park enjoyed a celebrated period in its decaying days when artists took over the shell of the building to create one of Sydney’s most notorious graffiti art ghettos. In Mirvac’s rejuvenation of this significant site into its present-day dynamic dining destination form, we have meticulously retained prized features of the graffiti era, and the Augmented Reality (AR) app enables viewers to access that history and the thoughts and experiences of the contributing artists. The new app is being downloaded daily and will soon be incorporated in a new tour booklet for the precinct. At the recently opened South Village in The Sutherland Shire, a live mural painting experience with local lovable artist Mulga resulted in his playful work adorning an entire entrance corridor reflecting the beachy lifestyle of the Shire community. At East Village in Sydney’s inner suburbs the centre always exuberantly celebrates Mardi Gras festival and has done so with art exhibitions. Over at Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet, a 22-metre-long façade has been entrusted to contemporary artist Guan Wei to manifest his signature flying pigs in a now permanent handcrafted artwork, celebrating the Year of the Pig Lunar New Year earlier this year. Guan Wei mural at Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet At Kawana Shoppingworld on the Sunshine Coast, a more leisurely paced lifestyle has seen the centre appeal to its community with an installation of two public art sculptures by Gillie and Marc, Archibald Prize finalists who are known for spreading messages of love, equality and conservation around the world through their innovative public art. Our customer insights tell us that a creative cultural environment is a desirable feature of communities; influencing peoples’ choices about where to spend their time. Our art programs are creating unmatched experiences during festival and exhibition events while creating an environment where our visitors are immersed, curious and engaged through art. A lot of work has been done across our centres to re-think our spaces, from flexible furniture to new outdoor areas and greenspace; delivering an exciting and sometimes surprising journey. Where there was once a functional grey column there might now be an intricate floral decal or a glittering sculptural installation. Art is absolutely getting out and about and into our sights at Mirvac, and we are activating our shared spaces in brilliant new ways.