A projection on the side of a large building
Arts & Culture

Celebrating a city: summertime projections

Published: 10 Dec 2020 4:38pm

Two digital projections are set to light up the evening sky in the Wollundry Lagoon precinct this holiday season.

The commissioned works Rural Type Exchange by Tonya Meyrick and The Sanctuary by Cindi Drennan will play on a loop every evening from 9 December 2020 to 11 January 2021.

A projection on the side of a large building
A TALE OF OUR CITY: Rural Type Exchange tells Wagga Wagga's story using typefaces from walls, signs and footpaths across the city.

Rural Type Exchange was created as a celebration of Wagga Wagga City Council’s 150 years as a municipality. Melbourne-based artist Tonya Meyrick worked with students from Kildare Catholic College to source local signage, maps and photographs relating to the city's history.

“I started to develop an archive of typefaces from buildings and signs around the city – down streets and laneways, from buildings, lively playgrounds and bustling areas,” Ms Meyrick said.

“Wagga has been through so much as a city and possesses an immensely rich history.

“Gleaning the typefaces from walls, signs and footpaths led me to develop a story of Wagga Wagga.”

Ms Meyrick hopes residents who see the projection come away with a different perspective of the place they call home.

A projection on the side of a large building
A TALE OF OUR CITY: Rural Type Exchange tells Wagga Wagga's story using typefaces from walls, signs and footpaths across the city.

The second digital projection featured – The Sanctuary – celebrates Wagga Wagga’s birdlife and was created by local enthusiasts who participated in a series of illustration workshops with lead artist Cindi Drennan, which included a site visit to the Marrambidya Wetland to discover local bird species.

Ms Drennan said the project gave local bird lovers a chance to meet each other and celebrate the abundant birdlife in the area.

“The most challenging aspect was finding a way to bring all those community viewpoints into one story but, in the end, the birds themselves inspired us,” Ms Drennan said.

“All the drawings are personal reflections and choices, which reflect community feelings about how birds enter into our daily lives as a visitor, a friend who comes to know us, or a guide who invites us to notice the environment.

“We hope The Sanctuary inspires the local community to protect bird habitats, keep dogs on the leash at the wetland and put water out for feathered friends in their backyard.”