We the People X Geelong was a site-specific public artwork presented in Market Square Mall, Geelong CBD. The project invited the public to engage with an archive of historical materials collected throughout two years of research that documented histories of activism in Geelong. The collection was displayed on the outside of the booth and I continued my collection of materials throughout it's public installation.
The work encouraged audiences to explore the collection and talk with the artist about their own ideas of protesting. The public were also invited to contribute their own messages of protest in a custom-designed Protest Book housed on-site. This book was inspired by a book found in the Hertiage Collection in Geelong.
Throughout the week, I facilitated a number of pre-arranged discussions on site; including a talk from Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Corporation, the Combined Refugee Action Collective, IPAN, Geelong One Fire, Save Geelong West Library,. . These conversations covered a range of topics related to the history of activism in the region.
On the Saturday afternoon, I hosted a community roundtable conversation at Platform Arts with local artists and activists.
There were also two protests at the same site during this week
Photos by Benjamin Hoffmann
Photos by Katie Sfetkidis
Images collected through Research:
Geelong City Council Protest Book
