Melbourne’s trams have once again been turned into mobile art galleries, with the latest Art Trams season now under way, marking the fifth consecutive year the designs have been created exclusively by Victorian Traditional Owners and First Peoples artists.
A component of RISING, the project engages Victorian artists in converting trams into rolling artworks.
Featuring various artists annually, the program for this edition is centred around honouring First Nations women for their strength, their histories and their cultural contributions.
The first Art Tram showcases Wurundjeri Elder William Barak’s painting Corroboree from 1897, which was returned to Victoria in 2022.
Other paintings consider identity, collective histories and cultural continuance.
The Yorta Yorta voice is well-represented this year, with multifaceted artist Maree Clarke (Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Mutti Mutti, Boonwurrung) and Elder collaboration with artists:
- Laurel Robinson (Yorta Yorta, Wurundjeri)
- Amy Briggs (Yorta Yorta)
- Cynthia Hardie (Yorta, Yorta)
- Rochelle Patten (Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Baraparapa).
All artworks are based on personal and cultural narratives, investigating connection with Country and the strength of community.
The six artworks will travel through Melbourne’s network for 12 months, with passengers having the ability to learn more through the use of QR codes onboard.
For more information, visit RISING’s website.
