Here is one for those lucky enough to reside in or visit Sydney in October. Dubbed the "Living City", Sydney this week takes it's title one step further with the launch of the 2010 Art & About a vibrant celebration of public art, an accessible, living canvas. Breaking out of the galleries and shrugging off the confines of traditional exhibition spaces, the month long event run by the City of Sydney infiltrates the CBD's parks, malls and laneways to bring the wondrous world of art and all things creative directly to the people.  The annual cultural festival, now in it's ninth year, draws huge public attendance figures, not least because it is 100% free! With each year that goes by the installations and displays continue to titillate, inspire and provoke.  Some of this years highlights include:
  • ArtPark is a new event that will activate Hyde Park for three days with an exciting program of music, performance art, film screenings on a large screen and panel talks by Sydney leading public artists.
  • Banner Gallery will display images of 100 Sydneysiders on giant street banners throughout all main CBD corridors as well as Oxford Street, Glebe Point Road and Redfern Street over the festival period. The Exhibition has been curated by John Kaldor with photography by Louise Hawson renowned for her beautiful 52 Suburbs series.
  • Sydney Life, the iconic centrepiece of Art & About Sydney, is a free outdoor exhibition of photographic works blown up to bed sheet size and displayed along the grand central walkway of Hyde Park North.
  • The Bike Bike is a large-scale sculpture that will use pre-loved bicycles to create a giant penny farthing in the heart of Martin Place. Standing up to 12 metres in height
  • Sydney Statues is an innovative installation aimed at reinterpreting eight of Sydney’s best-loved statues for a contemporary audience.
The Lord Mayor Clover Moore invites all who are in Sydney tomorrow to attend the official launch in Hyde Park North with the unveiling of the Sydney Life works and a live performance by Sydney group: Dappled Cities.
It’s an exciting month, and I look forward to seeing you out and about on the streets of Sydney as we celebrate our City’s creativity

Art & About Sydney Official Launch When: Thursday 23 September 2010, 6:00pm – 9:00pm Where: Hyde Park North, Grand Central Walkway

Art & About Sydney runs from 23 September to 24 October 2010. The full program is at the Art & About website.