The City of Perth’s approach to public art has taken a concerning turn, prioritising spectacle over substance while neglecting historically and culturally significant works.
The decision to install the Boonji Spaceman, a commercially driven, imported sculpture, is just one example of how the City is moving away from policies that once supported local artists, heritage conservation, and sustainable cultural investment.
At the same time, significant local artworks - including the Ore Obelisk, a tribute to Western Australia’s mining history by renowned Planner Paul Ritter, and Lorenna Grant’s Arch, a significant urban marker - have been removed and left in storage without clear plans for reinstatement. This directly contradicts the City’s Public Art Strategy, which states that public art should be preserved, managed sustainably, and aligned with the City’s cultural vision.
Beyond the removal of key artworks, the dismantling of essential funding mechanisms has left Perth’s public art in crisis. The Perth Public Art Foundation has been dissolved, removing an independent body that once facilitated partnerships and philanthropy for public art. The Cultural Sponsorship Program has been turned into an activation grant program. Even the Art Collection Acquisition Program has been scrapped, limiting investment in locally significant works and adding to the Capital City’s important collection of significant artists and artworks.
Public art is meant to tell a city’s story, but Perth’s story is increasingly being rewritten by commercial and political interests rather than its artists and community. If this trend continues, Perth risks losing its cultural identity, replacing meaningful, locally relevant public art with short-lived spectacles that offer no lasting connection to the city’s history, people, or creative future.
This should be deeply concerning to anyone with an interest in culture, design, history, and the built environment.
Photo: Frances Andrijich Photographer for the Perth Public Art Foundation
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