ROSA MAR
AN ARTISTIC PRACTICE GROUNDED IN OBSERVATION, LISTENING AND COLLABORATION.
CONNECTING PEOPLE, PLACE AND CULTURE THROUGH ART.
ABOUT
MEET ROSARosa Mar Tato Ortega is a Spanish-Australian visual artist, curator and creative consultant based on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.
A graduate of RMIT University with Honours in Fine Art (Sculpture), her practice spans public art, site-responsive installations, curatorial projects and creative collaborations informed by place, culture and the environment.
Her work includes significant public art commissions across Victoria, developed through research, community engagement and collaboration with architects, fabricators, councils and cultural organisations. From large-scale architectural interventions to intimate sculptural works, her practice explores pattern, light, memory and the relationships between people and the spaces they inhabit.
Rosa is the founder and curator of Currents of Practice, an evolving creative ecology initiative comprising exhibitions, conversations and public programs developed in response to the World Wetlands Day themes established by the Convention on Wetlands. The initiative brings together artists, environmental knowledge and communities to encourage dialogue and care for wetlands, waterways and place.
Central to Rosa's practice is deep listening. Her projects develop through observation, dialogue, material exploration and an ongoing curiosity about the cultural and environmental narratives embedded in a place.
Alongside her artistic and curatorial practice, Rosa works collaboratively with artists and organisations, contributing to creative development, cultural programming, project delivery and community engagement.
Photo: Bri Horne
Currents of Practice 2025 Exhibition & Conversations Publication
The Currents of Practice 2025 e-book and paperback publication are published.
This inaugural edition documents the artists, reflections and ecological conversations shaped through last year’s World Wetlands Day program at Coolart Wetlands. Follow the link for more information or to purchase a copy.
Currents of Practice | In the Flow of Creative Practice
Currents of Practice | In the Flow of Creative Practice
Currents of Practice is an evolving creative platform exploring the flow of ideas, influences and processes between artists working across different disciplines. Through exhibitions, conversations and collaborations, it creates space for unexpected connections, shared enquiries and new directions.
Founded and curated by Rosa Mar Tato Ortega, the initiative began in response to World Wetlands Day, with two consecutive years of programming bringing together visual artists, writers, performers, environmental voices and communities across the Mornington Peninsula.
Building on these foundations, Currents of Practice continues to evolve, embracing the diverse currents that shape contemporary artistic practice, whether through place, ecology, culture, material exploration or the exchange of ideas.
Thank you to the artists, collaborators, venues, volunteers, communities and supporters who have contributed to its journey so far.
New conversations and possibilities are taking shape.
Follow @currents.of.practice and explore the dedicated COP pages throughout this website.
Jika Jika
Community Centre Public Art Commsion
‘De-Fence Against Loneliness’
Defence Against Loneliness is a community-engaged public art commission comprising a series of sculptural and functional elements, including gateways, seating, signage and a street library, designed to encourage connection, inclusion and belonging.
Developed through consultation, dialogue and deep listening, the project explores how art can contribute to the identity of a place and create opportunities for people to come together.
The artworks are integrated into the everyday life of Jika Jika Community Centre, supporting its role as a welcoming ‘third place’ - a space beyond home and work where people gather, connect and build a sense of belonging.
Reimagining fences as places of identity, welcome and shared stories.
Rosa Mar Tato Ortega Public Art Commission in the streets of Northcote.
De-Fence Against Loneliness is a site-responsive public art commission for Jika Jika Community Centre in Northcote, funded through the Victorian Government's Living Local Suburban Development Program.
The project reimagines a high, exclusionary fence as a welcoming threshold, transforming the relationship between the community centre, its neighbourhood and the surrounding public space.
A series of sculptural and functional elements, including a laser-cut street library, layered gateways, seating and interpretive signage, invite movement, gathering and discovery. Pattern, light and shadow animate the artworks throughout the day, creating opportunities for interaction and connection.
Developed through community consultation, observation and collaboration, the project explores how public art can strengthen a sense of belonging and contribute to the everyday life of a neighbourhood.
The transformation extends beyond the physical artworks. Increased visitation, more diverse use of the centre and greater engagement with its outdoor spaces demonstrate how a once-enclosed site can become a welcoming place for community life.
““What makes this project truly remarkable is its social impact.
We’ve seen a noticeable increase in visitors and diversity of use. Families, children, older residents and newcomers now feel this is a place for them. Events have begun to spill into the outdoor areas.
The project has changed how the neighbourhood sees us - and how we see ourselves. We used to be hidden behind a fence. Now people stop, connect and feel welcome.
The artwork has become part of our identity. De-Fence Against Loneliness demonstrates how thoughtful, community-driven public art can change not just a space, but the life of a community.””
Live Where You Fear to Live | Creative Mentoring & Support
Sometimes all it takes is a conversation to find a way forward.
Live Where You Fear to Live offers flexible, one-to-one creative and practical support for artists, creatives and small business owners.
Whether it's developing a marketing approach, navigating social media, writing a press release, preparing for an exhibition or finding clarity ahead of a deadline, support is tailored to what's needed.
It might be a focused one-hour session to untangle ideas and identify next steps, or ongoing guidance to build confidence, direction and opportunities.
