Write at the End of the Tunnel: Creativity abounds on a major infrastructure project
Juliette Capomolla

BY SHANNON VALENTINE

Melbourne's Town Hall is playing host to 11 original works of writing commissioned by the Metro Tunnel Creative Program for this year's Writers Festival.

The program is one of multiple creative programs displayed across the Melbourne CBD. The various Metro Tunnel Projects are designed to artistically engage city goers in a COVID-safe manner as Melbourne opens up post-lockdown.

The program showcases an array of fiction and nonfiction prose from prominent Australian writers accompanied by illustrations on the walls of the Town Hall Station Metro Tunnel construction site.

The large scale works, similar in size to a mural, are displayed on printed metal sheets attached to the construction site. Work by Writer Elena Gomez and art by Dr Nyein Chan Aung is pictured. PHOTO: Shannon Valentine

Featured artist, industrial designer and researcher Dr Nyein Chan Aung said the accessibility to the murals in a prime Melbourne location is a great honour for him as an artist.

“You can stop and read everything, or you could just look at the art and take a few minutes, they’re non intrusive,” Dr Aung said.

Dr Nyein Chan Aung says his piece in the Melbourne Writers Festival, as well as his 2019 art tram, both serve as a love letter to his wife and muse. PHOTO: Creative Victoria

There are 11 writers and three artists in total on show across the 11 works, with prominent names such as Mandy Beaumont, Timmah Ball and Melanie Cheng featured along the outside of the Town Hall.

‘An Assemblage of Wonder’ by Award-winning Melburnian writer Mandy Beaumont stems from Beaumont's memories, building a sense of longing and wonder to her piece. Artwork by Nyein Chang Aung. PHOTO: Shannon Valentine

Featured writer Nova Weetman said she looks forward to her work ‘Food Shaped Memories’ connecting with passers-by walking through the city, which describes how food connected her to her community and family during lockdown.

“I think the wonder of public art can really improve your day,” Ms Weetman said. 

“I know when I see a sculpture or large artworks in cities I feel very moved by them and I want to engage.”

A writer of many genres - frequently personal memoirs - Nova Weetman says she uses writing as her strength in moments of vulnerability. PHOTO: Supplied

While the majority of the program takes place online through podcasts and workshops, the murals on public display are a physical aspect of the Melbourne Writers Festival, serving as a means for artists to exhibit their creations to a broader audience.

“We don't often extend [this type of public] engagement to writing, and I think this project has amazing potential because it is so public and so diverse,” Ms Weetman said.

Author Melanie Cheng’s piece ‘The Visitor’ is about the experience of grieving for a past home while starting to love a new one. Illustration by Jackie Nguyen. PHOTO: Shannon Valentine ​​​​

As Melbourne emerges from its sixth lockdown and moves towards its 80 per cent vaccination target, Dr Aung said he hopes the project will reinvigorate the community’s love for the former most liveable city. 

“The pieces are very much about our collective love and appreciation for Melbourne,” Dr Aung said.

“Everything about Melbourne is great…each piece represents how we feel about the city.”

The works will remain in the city until the end of October, with other creative programs and public art to be discovered at the other six Metro Tunnel station locations.