In partnership with Knox City Council, we curated a series of First Nations artist commissions for the annual Immerse Festival, bringing contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art into the public realm through a series of permanent illuminated lightboxes installed across a series of laneways within the City of Knox.
Each year, the festival transforms these laneways with a new collection of commissioned artworks, inviting First Nations artists to respond to the festival’s annual theme through their own creative practice, cultural perspectives and distinctive visual language. By pairing new commissions with the permanent lightbox installations, Immerse has created an evolving outdoor gallery that encourages the community and visitors to return year after year to experience new stories, artists and perspectives.
For us, the project was about creating opportunities for First Nations artists to share their work with audiences beyond the traditional gallery setting. Public art has the ability to surprise people, spark curiosity and create moments of connection in everyday places. Following the festival, each commissioned artwork remains on display for twelve months, allowing residents and visitors to experience the works long after the event has concluded. As daylight fades, the illuminated lightboxes transform each artwork into a vibrant beacon, activating the laneways both day and night.
Across multiple editions of Immerse, the program has celebrated a growing collection of First Nations artists while continually renewing the public experience through fresh commissions each year. We were proud to contribute to a project that not only showcased extraordinary contemporary First Nations creativity, but also established a lasting platform for artists and an enduring cultural destination within Knox.
2024 Locations: Charlotte Allingham – Cinema Lane, Boronia Jeswri – 119 Station Street, Ferntree Gully Molly Hunt – Side wall of Paloma Pizza, 1233 High Street Road, Wantirna South
2026 Locations: Amina Briggs – Cinema Lane, Boronia ENOKi – 119 Station Street, Ferntree Gully Krae Designs – Side wall of Paloma Pizza, 1233 High Street Road, Wantirna South
