Between 1978 and 1993 the Ministry for the Arts initiated the ‘Transporting Art’ project. The Ministry and a number of sponsors commissioned famous Australian artists to paint Melbourne’s iconic W class trams. The project took contemporary artists fantastic and vibrant art onto the streets as it rattled around on city trams. Thirty-six artists including Lin Onus, Clifton Pugh, Brett Colquhoun, Michael Leunig, Mirka Mora, Jeffrey Makin and Erica McGilchrist and even a pop group ‘Mental as Anything’ were involved.
2013 commemorates the 35th anniversary of this wonderful, innovative movable art program. It stimulated great public comment and engagement, particularly when new trams were launched. It was a milestone moment in the artists careers. It exposed public art in a new and imaginative way and generated world-wide interest. The exhibition also features an illustrated timeline of horse trams, cable and electric trams and historic 1910 film of Melbourne cable trams.
“It is wonderful that this exhibition will showcase and celebrate this landmark project during Arts Victoria’s 40th anniversary year” - then Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu
Trams: Moving Pictures is continuing until November 1 2013 as part of the Melbourne Festival.
This exhibition is available to view online through the Google Cultural Institute Australia.
Start Date: 17 December 2012
End Date: 1 November 2013
Trams: Moving Pictures is presented by the Old Treasury Building in partnership with Public Record Office Victoria.
