Mural Project 2024/25

Kamberri/Canberra-based Kirsten Farrell is a queer multidisciplinary artist with a PhD from the ANU School of Art + Design. She has a long association with Canberra Contemporary and held her first solo exhibition, Alphabetica, at CCAS Manuka (now Platform) in 2002.

Kirsten’s practice encompasses conceptual, object-based installation, textile art, text- based works, video and performance, all grounded in her strong foundation in painting. Earlier this year, Kirsten participated in a residency at Bundanon, where she created work that explored her fascination with ekphrastic art: works of art that are imagined in words only. For the Platform Mural Project, Kirsten will draw from the Platform archive, particularly exhibition titles, incorporating them into the mural. This approach honours Platform's long history as a launching pad for many art practices, and will serve as a bold introduction to the experimental and speculative art showcased at the gallery.

The Platform Mural Project, launched in 2023, is an annual initiative that publicly profiles a bold new work by a local contemporary artist, and helps attract more visitors to discover the work of all artists showing at Platform, while enlivening the public streetscape. The commissioned artwork adorns the 6m x 1.5m recessed area on the façade of the building. As a site of innovation and growth, Platform showcases ambitious projects by predominantly early career artists, prioritising experimental and Kamberri/Canberra-based practice.

Image: Kirsten Farrell in front of her Platform mural, December 2024. Photo by Hilary Wardhaugh