Showcasing Sydney’s Inner West for the artistic hub that it is, Perfect Match returns for it’s second year as Australia’s most collaborative contemporary street art initiative, running: 31 July – 1 August 2015.
Marrickville is home to a thriving creative and independent arts scene – influenced by a rich industrial heritage, a history of multiculturalism, and an inclusive and broad-minded attitude. For all these reasons, Marrickville is now host to one of Australia’s most impressive collections of street art.
A leading supporter of street art for the past 20 years, Marrickville Council has been instrumental in partnering residents, property owners and artists to transform walls into works of bold and celebratory art curated by, and enjoyed with, the community.
Council invited local property owners to find their Perfect Match by nominating their wall to be transformed by an artist of their choice. The artists commenced their commissions earlier this month and now complete, the 22 new Perfect Match works will sit alongside a retrospective of some of the best existing street art across the inner west.
From the enormous work by Birdhat to open the new Victoria and Hobbs Café in Lewisham, to Art of Wall’s playful homage to the JETS and the inner west’s mesh of sport and art, a Jumboist masterpiece at the Asylum Seekers Centre to the Camelot Lounge’s site specific work by Hugues Sineux, Perfect Match is a celebration of collaboration, art, innovation and public places.
In addition, Esem Projects have joined the program to create Proud Tower – a site specific illumination project to celebrate the 50th Birthday of the Inner West icon, the Petersham Water Tower. The initiative highlights the history, engineering and people who built Petersham Water Tower and its importance to inner west heritage, lifestyle and the future.
Local tours of Marrickville’s transformed spaces will run throughout the event including a guided tour on wheels hosted by Gilbert Grace of ARTcyle; Melinda Vassallo, author of Street Art of the Inner West will take art explorers throughout the Perfect Match transformed streets by bus; and photographer Chris Woe will guide a walking tour with handy tips for budding photographers.
Perfect match is a unique council initiative tackling unwanted graffiti by fostering legitimate creative expression and art in Marrickville’s unique public places,” says Mark Gardiner, Mayor of Marrickville.
Perfect Match takes place on Friday 31 July and Saturday 1 August 2015. For more information, visit: www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au for details.
Image: Ears – located at 89 Palace Street, Petersham