Platform artists group
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Platform Artists Group Inc., commonly known as Platform, is one of the longest operating Australian artist-run initiatives. The organisation is run by volunteers who develop exhibitions of visual arts by young and emerging artists from Australia and around the world. Platform consists of five separate spaces, all located in and under the busy Flinders Lane precinct in the heart of Melbourne city.
Most of the activities of Platform are located in the Campbell Arcade subway under Flinders Street and Degraves Street in Melbourne. A pedestrian poll conducted in 2005 by the Connex train company estimated that more than 35,000 people a week pass through the Platform exhibition sites, making it one of the most visible sites for public art in Melbourne.
Platform provides support for many young artists by enabling them to present solo exhibitions and the organisation often debuts artists to the general public. In its 16 years of operation, Platform has presented new work from more than 500 artists. Platform also runs a popular artist book and zine shop called Sticky.
[edit] History of Platform Artists Group Inc.
Founded in 1990 by Andrew Seward and Richard Holt, Platform's first location was a collection of glass display cases in the old Spencer Street Station pedestrian underpass. In 1995, the City of Melbourne offered the group another underground space, Campbell Arcade, a subway located under Flinders Street and connecting Flinders Street Station to Degraves Street, Melbourne. The late Art deco-style arcade was opened on 31 August 1955 and features black marble columns and pink-tiled walls lined with glass display cases. Platform expanded the exhibition program into this second space, running group and solo exhibitions at both the city's major train stations.
In 2000, visual artists Luke Sinclair and Simone Ewensen took over management of Platform, further expanding the organisation into one of the subway shops that they named Sticky. Promoting and selling Artist books and Zines, Sticky has since become one of Australia's largest sellers of zines, stocking work from the United States, UK, Germany, France, China, Japan and New Zealand.
In 2004, the Spencer Street site was destroyed as part of the redevelopment of the station, and the group expanded into the historic Majorca Building on Centre Place, Melbourne. This Neo-Gothic building is one of the prime examples of elaborate Melbourne architecture from the early 20th century and houses private apartments above boutique shops. The entrance facade features large glass display cases that since 2004 have played host to monthly exhibitions of 2D artwork including photography, lithography, stenciling and drawing. The Centre Place laneway also features Citylights Project with some of Melbourne's most ambitious street art projects.
In 2006, two new artists, Anita King and Din Heagney, took over management of Platform, also expanding the program into another large glass display window in the subway, to be opened in early 2007.
