The Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia (AACHWA) has been contracted by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries to undertake a $1.6 million public artwork commission.

Under the terms of engagement for the Digital Arts Project, AACHWA is responsible for consulting and identifying suitable content and making recommendations to WA Museum (WAM) for eight Aboriginal digital Artworks to be programmed on two WAM Boola Bardip screens over four years (2020-2023).  The Artwork theme is to exhibit the “diversity of Aboriginal art and culture in Western Australia”.

An innovative and unique public art project, the Digital Arts Project is not a one-off commission standing in perpetuity, but a dynamic annual commission presenting a changing display of unique art by Aboriginal artists from around the State.  It features and promotes numerous Aboriginal artists and facilitates direct economic benefits to artists.

The Digital Arts Project involves accessing both existing works and new commissions, including works created independently and digitised for display and designed specifically for the WAM screens.

Another wonderful initiative introduced by AACHWA in this public art project is an internship program developed to nurture the talent and encourage the work of upcoming Aboriginal artists and producers.  The 2020 intern was Jeremy Thomson, who worked as Media Editor with Sohan Ariel Hayes of Sohan Ariel Hayes Studio in the compilation of the artwork.

Round one 2020 of the Digital Art Project showcases almost 100 artists from around Western Australia, including the Kimberley, South West, Pilbara, Mid-West and Goldfield-Esperance and, combined, decorate two sides of the WAM Boola Bardip.

• Hackett Hall screen, facing the Perth Cultural Centre, features works from the State collection held by the Art Gallery of Western Australia; and
• Francis Street ‘ribbon’ displays artworks from 2020 Revealed Exhibition, which was presented online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Round one works will be exhibited for all visitors to see and experience for approximately nine months, and over the following three years AACHWA will undertake the commissioning, licensing and digitisation of new works for display.