A road trip for art-lovers

There’s a lot more to the Mornington Peninsula than a pristine environment and world-class wineries and restaurants. There’s a rich and in some cases hidden or untold history beneath the surface of many of the places that make up this magnetic location.

In November an ambitious art project titled Front Beach, Back Beach presented by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery and Deakin University’s Public Art Commission will take place across 15 sites from Coolart Wetlands to Point Nepean National Park. Eighteen leading Australian artists have been commissioned to make new work in response to the distinctive geographical sites, histories and communities of our region.

Artistic directors Cameron Bishop, David Cross and Danny Lacy led a curatorial team of eight who spent time choosing the locations and then considering artists Australia-wide who could bring their vision for the project to life. “We really wanted to peel back the layers behind stories like the role of Point Nepean – from the cultural significance of the region for Bunurong Traditional Owners, the first shot fired by the British Empire in World War I coming from Fort Nepean or the story of Harold Holt’s disappearance,” David says. “It’s about celebrating the stories of the Peninsula but not doing it uncritically. We looked at the stories of place we were interested in investigating and then we selected artists based on who we thought would be a powerful respondent to that place and story.”

For example, David came across the story of the chicory industry on the Peninsula. “Chicory was the No.1 drink in Australia prior to World War II and the Mornington Peninsula was one of the biggest areas that it was grown, harvested and produced. Then came the coffee machine to Australia, and people switched from drinking chicory to coffee. So we thought about who would be an artist that could work with that story. We selected Lucy Bleach, an artist from Tasmania, because we thought her practice would be a great mix between that story and her ability to make a sculptural response.”

Some works will be sculptural, others will be more performative-based. Flinders artist Vera Möller will celebrate the marine ecology of Western Port – specifically the weedy seadragon. Responding to what’s usually reserved for divers, Vera’s work will invert what’s going on below sea level at Flinders Pier. Melbourne artist Geoff Robinson has created a 40-minute audio walking tour to be experienced on site within Point Nepean National Park.

After this large-scale public art project in November, the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery will be hosting a Front Beach, Back Beach exhibition between December 10 and February 19, presenting remnants and documentation of the 15 projects.

Front Beach, Back Beach runs from November 4-27. For more information and to subscribe for updates, visit www.fbbb.com.au