Australian export case study Major sculptures leading into the Shanghai World Expo 2010 have an international connection – they were designed in Australia.
Brisbane-based specialist design consultancy, Urban Art Projects, was selected from a field of over a hundred international tenders to design the major sculptures for the eight main entrance areas leading into the World Expo.
The winning designs, currently under construction, include fire cracker light displays, giant toys and straw hat inspired sculptures. They give an amusing, light-hearted and almost playful take on widely recognised aspects of Chinese popular culture.
The sculptures will be seen by an expected 79 million local and international visitors to the Shanghai World Expo, which began in May and runs until October. Site-specific art and design commissions Urban Art Projects co-founder, Matthew Tobin, said that his company specialises in creating site-specific art and design commissions for a wide range of architectural and landscape projects internationally, with projects completed in locations such as India, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Urban Art Projects was established in 1993 by Matthew Tobin and his twin brother, Daniel, as both a design studio and workshop.
“We have always created public art from a holistic perspective,” Mr Tobin said, “and our turn-key approach takes an artwork from idea to installation.”
Urban Art Projects’ foundry and workshop in Brisbane is equipped with the tools to deliver objects of any scale for any site. “Since every project is unique, our designers work closely with the workshop to carry out detailed prototyping with all manner of materials,” said Mr Tobin.
“New methods are constantly being developed to realise artworks that fulfil the client’s and artist’s vision while balancing budget and timeframe considerations.”
The Urban Art Projects team includes curators, landscape and industrial designers, visualisation artists, engineers, artisans, craftsmen and project managers, all of whom specialise in creating art and design for the public realm.
The company collaborates with both artists and project teams in master-planning, art strategy, architecture and urban design. Winning bid “I believe that our bid for the Shanghai World Expo Entries was successful because of our sensitivity to local culture,” said Mr Tobin.
“Every project begins with researching and understanding local culture and history to ensure that the outcome is not only site-specific but also relevant to its location and purpose.
“On the Shanghai Expo project, our team used this approach to translate intricate aspects of Chinese culture into iconic, experiential works for an international audience.”
Mr Tobin said that the Australian Trade Commission – Austrade – helped Urban Art Projects in the lead-up to the Shanghai Expo.
“In particular, we have found Austrade very supportive in connecting us to numerous media and promotion opportunities, both locally in Australia and throughout China,” he said. Main page image copyright UAP and Daniel Shih |