Light show to ‘bathe’ theatre in colour

LED RAINBOW: Concept drawings of an artwork set to bathe Geelong Performing Arts Centre in light.

“Ever-changing” colours in a new public artwork will “bathe” Geelong Performing Arts Centre’s (GPAC) Ryrie St building in light, the organisation has announced.

Victorian artist Daniel von Sturmer won a commission to create a landmark piece for the centre’s eastern facade with his large-scale digital work Painted Light.

“Painted Light is a new work exploring light as a dynamic medium in public space,” he said.

“The work brings together three longstanding interests of mine – light, paint and video – into architectural space.”

Mr von Sturmer represented Australia at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007 and has exhibited in leading galleries across Australia and the world.

He beat 63 proposals from Australia and overseas to create an artwork for GPAC’s new $38.5 million Ryrie St redevelopment.

The artwork was set for installation later this year, GPAC announced on Tuesday.

Spanning two thirds of the building’s east-facing exterior wall, Painted Light will stretch from the base of the first floor to the crest of the rooftop.

The dynamic work uses LED technology to replicate the dripping of paint against a black surface.

Every 10 to 15 minutes, the wall will flood with a new sequence of colour, marking time and providing a spectacle for visitors and passers-by.

State Government funded GPAC’s Ryrie St redevelopment with philanthropic support.

Victorian Government Architect Jill Garner described the proposed artwork as “striking yet elegantly simple”.