Walking renewed ground

The west end of Hindley Street is constantly evolving with new developments from both the Adelaide City Council and the University of South Australia’s expanding City West campus. The Art Walk responds to this evolution with site-specific installations and active participation from street traders eager to develop ongoing relationships with the art and design community. Occupying these spaces within a new context – a gallery environment – allows viewers to rediscover everyday areas, which they may otherwise not imagine as artistic places. This is an exciting offering for the West End, and an opportunity to explore the possibilities of the street as an art and design region within the city. The Walk will run for three nights from Thursday, August 6 to Saturday, August 8 and is an initiative from Splash Adelaide in association with the Art After Dark program. With support from the West End Association, the program is set to highlight the area as a promising art and design precinct and will be part of the SALA festival. Hosting these events at night provides a lively interaction on parts of the street, which remain dormant during most of the year. Event organiser Grace Coy and installation artist Monica Prichard are responsible for bringing together emerging and established local artists and designers. The program will focus on engaging with the street as well as a string of businesses and tenancies along the West End, presenting these sites as unconventional but dynamic gallery spaces. “We have designed an event that everyone will love,” says Coy. “Creatives will go crazy with excitement, enthusiasm and eagerness for more. Event-goers will arrive with curiosity and leave with fulfilment. We invite you to discover the next level of interactive arts events in Adelaide among old and new friends.” “Art Walk is a multi-venue event that takes art out of the gallery and onto the streets, where everything becomes a canvas and everyone becomes an artist,” says Pritchard. The West End Art Walk aims to present unloved pockets of space in a new way, acting not as a passive experience but as conversation starters through art and installation. Participants will receive a glass of wine on arrival, a map of the street identifying each of the destinations and information about the interactive elements at each point. While there are designated public spaces that will be transformed, participants are encouraged to make their own path to each of the exhibition spaces, and accumulate elements that they can use to help build collective art pieces along the route. There is a strong focus on reframing art and design as accessible and engaging media. These semi-permanent displays will remain in situ until the end of the SALA Festival on Sunday, August 30. Each night will deliver a unique experience for attendees. Thursday evening will be an opening night celebration; an art market will open before Friday night’s walk, and a street party with buskers, pop-up stalls and other entertainment will be part of the final night’s activities on Saturday. West End Art Walk Thursday, August 6 to Saturday, August 8 (7pm-10pm) Tickets: $12 online/$15 on the night adelaideartwalk.com.au