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City of Sydney Curatorial Advisor



Artists
Hany Armanious (Australia), Paddy Bedford (Gija), Angela Brennan (Australia), Jon Campbell (Australia), Adam Cullen (Australia), Debra Dawes (Australia), Mikala Dwyer (Australia), Tracey Emin (UK), Matthys Gerber (Australia), Simryn Gill (Australia/Malaysia), David Griggs (Australia), Newell Harry (Australia), Louise Hearman (Australia), Junya Ishigami (Japan), Tim Johnson (Australia), Alex Katz (US), Lindy Lee (Australia), Alfred Leslie (US), Robert MacPherson (Australia), Rocket Mattler (Australia), Callum Morton (Australia), Susan Norrie (Australia), J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere (Nigeria), Nike Savvas (Australia), Martin Sharp (Australia), Lara Schnitger (US/The Netherlands), Rebecca Smith (US), Jan van der Ploeg (The Netherlands), Tjuruparu Watson (Irrunytju), Guan Wei (Australia/China), Justene Williams (Australia), Simon Yates (Australia)

Location
Sydney

CommissionerCity of Sydney

CuratorBarbara Flynn, Curatorial Advisor

Selected reports Draft Public Art in Private Developments
City Centre Public Art Plan
Public Art Case Studies
Report on options for lighting Cloud Arch  

Artist briefs Public Art for George Street Spine, Expression of Interest
City Centre Transformation, East-West Connectors, Stage One Artist Brief
City Centre Laneways, Stage One Artist Brief

Media
City Centre Public Art Plan media release
Speech notes for Lord Mayor Clover Moore prepared by Barbara Flynn
A car-free yellow brick road – Sydney Morning Herald
Conquering or dividing: the effect of public art – The Sun-Herald
City of Sydney media release
City Centre Public Art – newspaper front pages
City Centre Public Art – SBS News
City Centre Public Art – ABC News
Gaint urban sculpture leaves critics and public split – Sydney Morning Herald
If cultural heart beats faster it’ll catch my city – The Weekend Australian
Steel yourselves for an art attack – The Sun-Herald

Ishigami’s artwork Cloud Arch is the most significant work of art ever proposed for the city of Sydney. Emin’s The Distance of Your Heart was completed in March 2018, Schnitger’s Patchwork of Light in March 2020.
            At the commencement of her term, Flynn wrote the City Centre Public Art Plan proposing artists for the transformation of George Street (2013), which was unanimously accepted by City of Sydney councillors. Other documents she drafted during her tenure include Report on Options for Lighting Cloud Arch (2018); Public Art Case Studies (2017); City Centre Laneways – Artist Brief Stage One EOI 0416 (2016); Public Art for George Street Spine, Expression of Interest No. E1213 (2013); and City Centre Transformation, East-West Connectors, Stage One Artist Brief EOI E11 13 (2013) (with Claire Morgan, Program Manager, Special Projects Public Art, City Design); and Case studies of 1 Bligh Street, Coca Cola Place, and Australia Square Upgrade forming part of the Draft City of Sydney Public Art in Private Developments (2013).
            At the start of her tenure, Flynn ran the competition for the Sydney city centre (2014) that broke all records for a City of Sydney process, with 388 submissions by artists representing 24 countries. 42 per cent of the pool were Australian artists. Over the next eight years, she provided liaison services to artists, input on fabrication methods and lighting, and expertise in final inspection of artworks.
            Flynn’s relationship as curator with the City of Sydney predated her term as Curatorial Advisor. In 2010–11, she curated and produced art for nine central-city laneways for the project Are You Looking at Me? In 2006–08, she curated three annual City of Sydney street banner projects as part of the City’s Open Gallery initiative. 18 artists, including 15 from Australia, one from Nigeria and two from the US, exhibited their work as part of the project.
Barbara Flynn Pty LtdInstagram, Linkedin, barbara@barbaraflynn.com, +61 (0) 411 877 379
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