Public Transport Operations Control Centre /
CLIENT: ADCO Construction / PTA
SECTOR: Transport
LOCATION: Boorloo (Perth) WA
TIMEFRAME: 2021-2023
OPPORTUNITIES: Mural, Sculptural Relief
ARTISTS: Kambarni, Chris Nixon + Luke Davey
In 2021, Artify was engaged by ADCO as Public Art Coordinator for the Perth Transport Operations Command Centre (PTOCC), guiding best-practice commissioning from strategy through to artist curation, design and delivery. The public art recognises both the cultural and historical significance of the site and the role of the building itself, the nerve centre of the METRONET network.
In early 2022, following an open EOI and shortlisting process, artists Kambarni, Chris Nixon and Luke Davey were selected for their concept Kulbardi Season, a large-scale mural on the building's prominent eastern façade, with a shallow relief sculptural overlay and feature planters at the groundplane.
The kulbardi (magpie), a protector and observer, is an instantly recognisable form that speaks to the purpose of the site, designed to be read from a distance through its high-contrast pattern. Kambarni expresses his personal connection to the site through his distinctive painting style, using symbols of cultural and seasonal vitality, while the poolgarla (bull banksia) blooms map the rail terminations and abstract into a depiction of the seven sisters.
