Walking through words

In early 2016 a call went out, seeking Expressions of Interest in a new segment of government infrastructure: ‘Transport for NSW is interested in commissioning moving image art for the “Wynyard Walk” between Wynyard Station and Barangaroo in Sydney’.[1] I was one of a small group selected to offer prototypes and, eventually, to generate a complete artwork. The official brief explained the context: From the early stages of planning for the pedestrian linkage between Wynyard Station and its reconfigured connections to and from the Barangaroo development on Sydney Harbour’s western foreshore, TfNSW decided that a large LED screen be installed within Wynyard Walk as an integral part of commuter travel routes for the primary purpose of captivating viewers with screen-based art in a public space. And set the parameters: Wynscreen is a distinctively shaped LED screen, Width 22.75 metres (W22.75m) x Height 2.75 metres (H2.75m), installed at the mezzanine level of Wynyard Walk’s Clarence St Entrance. It is anticipated that more than 30,000 commuters and visitors will pass through this location every day, viewing the screen as they move along Wynyard Walk. TfNSW intends that Wynscreen will be solely for the presentation of commissioned works by mainly Australian artists, designers, animators, choreographers and other performers working with moving image whose diverse content – ranging from video art and animation to data visualisation and heritage interpretation – will continuously enliven and enrich the space. Essentially, Wynscreen will reflect the complexity of contemporary culture in Sydney and Australia by conveying how our histories have shaped ‘who we are’, ‘where we are’ and ‘what we may become’ in this country in the 21st century.