Expressions of interest (EOI) are now being sought for artist- and architect-designed sky observatories to be included within Night Rise, a new Fremantle Biennale initiative that aims to bring together contemporary creatives and cultural leaders with the dark-sky places, stories and communities of regional Western Australia.
Building on a growing astrotourism industry and initiatives focussed on protecting darkness, the initiative explores how arts and culture can contribute unique perspectives on, and ways of connecting to, vast dark-sky environments.
The brief calls for visions of singular observatories, either nocturnal or diurnal, for select sites across the Wheatbelt region of WA, with artists and architects or architectural practices are invited to apply and collaborations encouraged. The intention is that the proposed observatories will create places for people to gather, shelter and connect with the sky and horizon.
Night Rise is currently in research and creative development, with the aim to establish the foundations for a long-term, large-scale program centred across four WA regions: the Wheatbelt, Gascoyne, Midwest/Murchison and Kimberley.
The vision is that the artworks, which would include permanent and temporary works, will form a dark-sky trail activated by the Fremantle Biennale in collaboration with each community through public programs and events over a one- or two-year period.
Submissions can be made until 2 October on the Fremantle Biennale website.