Concrete Herd. A Concept Proposal for a temporary art installation in a Sydney City laneway.
By Christopher Tamm and Matthew Holmes on behalf of the Crashcorporation.com and Squat Space, written for Sydney City Council.

About the Project
'Concrete Herd' is a proposed new media project, building on the capacities and concepts developed and demonstrated at the 2008 Adelaide Festival of Arts with the Graffiti Research Labs and supported by ANAT (Australia National Art Technology), Adelaide Festival and Adelaide City Council.

The Concrete Herd project entails temporarily erecting in excess of 1000 model fantasy urban animal characters in a narrow and tall lane way to engage and draw the consideration of the viewer to spaces and ways less considered.

The animals will be constructed from weather-proof recycled materials and will be illuminated with light emitting diodes (LED's). By night, the sounds of the hidden lives of the animals will invite and offer the viewer a further interpretation of the work.

Conceptual Analysis
The rebirth of George Street is an awakening of dormant eyes along less trodden paths. Caricature fantasy animals draw out our imagination, and engage us as more than spectators as we are invited to share their opened space. The opening of new ways to pedestrians is invited by the presence of a multitude of participants, with flashing eyes and shimmering forms.

The normally dull concrete of the towering wallscapes becomes alive with movement - Dark terrible spaces are transformed to the imaginative space of childhood and the ordinary terrain is reinvented as the possible. Roads formerly untrodden become accessible to the feet and the mind. By daytime the shape and character of the forms, by night the light and language of the illuminated eyes invite the audience.

Further Engaging the Community
While we could have artists create all the creatures, we would propose that workshops be help in
participation with local schools or community organizations to produce the animals and their sounds.
This would foster community engagement with the project, develop technical and artistic capacities, and give participants a sense of participation in and development of their city - Sydney. The use of LED's in new media workshops and installations is attested to by Chris's experience with the Graffiti Research Labs Masterclass where LED artworks engaged and exited all ages. Further, the creative endeavor of the public making imaginative animals for the city space invites a full circle of consideration and imagination about the city and its spaces for everyone. By engaging child like wonder in the urban environment, we create imaginative urban people and spaces.

Specifically, workshops would be held on 1) Making animals, 2) Installing LED's (very simple and very safe electronics), and 3) Basic sound recording and editing. This range of workshops can cover a broad range of age groups, and teaches practical use of new media, mixed media and creative arts.

Suitable sites are:
Angel Place,
Wynyard Lane,
Little Hunter Street,
Brodge Lane,
Abercrombie Lane,
Underwood Street,
and Crane Place.

Images from Graffiti Research Lab Masterclass in the Adelaide Festival of Arts 2008 (thanx ANAT, Carclew, Adelaide City Council) – stolen off the net from various sources in GRL style
http://graffitiresearchlab.com/
http://fffff.at/fuckflickr/ADELAIDE/
more here