Djerring Flemington Hub
Integrating community engagement and placemaking
CREATING LASTING ARTISTIC IMPACTS
Moonee Valley City Council engaged Rosa Mar Tato Ortega to deliver community consultation and a public artwork in the form of large-scale perforated screens across the Djerring Flemington Hub. Rosa is an excellent candidate for facilitating the community engagement and delivery of a public art piece, and we can recommend her as an experienced communicator and talented artist.
Upon commencement of the project, Tato Ortega met with Traditional Elders (Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation). A project name was given: ‘Buwi Birrip Djerring’ – Weave Thread Create Together. The title refers to Rosa’s art process of weaving together stories, creating threads and bringing people together to create this piece.
Tato Ortega was very community-centred in her approach, holding meetings both online and in person, connecting with a wide range of individuals and groups, and Council’s key stakeholders for the Djerring Flemington Hub project.
As part of the information-gathering process, Rosa immersed herself in the history of the area, learning about the waterways, native flora and fauna, and met with conservation and land management professionals to create a thorough and thought-provoking response to the brief.
The beauty of Rosa’s work is that it can be applied to different surfaces, angles, and materials to best suit the environment and use. Rosa is aware of both the possibilities and restrictions that come with using different materials. For instance, when her collage was made into the perforated screens, Rosa was aware of how the detail would be transformed. She understood how light, placement, and fixing materials would interact with and change the work. We are very pleased with the outcome of this work and highly recommend working with Rosa Mar Tato Ortega on any project involving the public realm or built form.
Gemma Portelli
Capital Works Project Officer – Built Form
Phone 03 9243 1891 Mobile 0458 931 463
Email GPortelli@mvcc.vic.gov.au
Moonee Valley Council
Djerring Flemington Hub
Integrating art into the built environment at the Flemington Community Hub 2022/23
RESEARCH IN AND AROUND THE WATERWAYS OF THE CITY OF MOONEE VALLEY
For this to become a reality, Rosa invited the community to connect.
Precious found objects from individual homelands or found in and around City of Moonee Valley were discussed, photographed and sighted. A patterned fabric, a traditional instrument, piece of jewellery that reflected family and cultural heritage were carefully documented. Photos and conversations relating to the Pandemic highlighted what mattered during those challenging times.
Research in and around the waterways of the City of Moonee Valley highlighted the community's commitment to planting and biodiversity.Traditional cooking implements, rituals, inherited tools or those packed in individual or family member's suitcases were discussed over zoom and face to face gatherings.
Motifs & patterns from a scarf or traditional dress, music & a favourite plant gave the project an important layering which will be noted in the final artwork.