Places like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane seem to get the most coverage as travelers go to Australia. An ongoing art project, however, aims to draw visitors away from the cities, shores, and into the small towns of the vast country.
But not many tourists made the four-hour drive from Perth until 2018. There was no need to head out to Pingrup. Then three silos were turned into giant works of art near the center of this tiny town.
Water and grain silos have become the foundation for paintings in remote communities across Australia, influenced by their local communities, history, and way of life.
A first in the country, though artists have seen the recently opened PUBLIC Silo Trail since imitated in Victoria, attempt to reinterpret the state’s farming heartland and help redefine the communities that call this place home.
The seven-town path offers tourists a different side of Australia, a great road trip for art lovers searching for something practically off the beaten track.
Eight of 16 fully operating silos that are part of the project are decorated with a mixture of abstract images and whimsical characters in flying contraptions unfolding on an architectural canvas.
Creation of Australian silo art google map
Annette and Eric Green are lovers of silo art as well as makers of AustralianSiloArtTrail.com. They found a wildflower-inspired silo in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia, during an epic road trip in March 2018. After that, the Greens decided to see as many silo murals as possible but couldn’t find many details online. The pair also created a Facebook page to track the artwork and launched the Australian Silo Art Google Map in September 2018 that clearly labels all silos, water towers, and even street art. It includes comprehensive explanations of each item, including details about the parking. The map has over 526,000 views on it today.
Silo art is not only a brilliant addition to the local landscape; it is a lifeline. Around Australia, small farming communities continue to face some of the worst droughts in recent history, forcing them to abandon their farms. Thus towns across Australia have decided to invest as a tourism opportunity in silo art to increase the number of tourists.
Purpose behind these silo projects
Although Australia’s borders are shut due to COVID-19 for an indefinite period, these towns will need help once the country re-opens. According to Dvate, it is important to support regional communities as they are in critical condition. Silo art projects give people another excuse to explore outside of town.
Most of the silo art portrays the flora and fauna of native Australia as well as portraits of the locals. By choosing a plant, bird, or animal where possible which is either endangered or threatened helps in educating and raising awareness.
Winding up
The Silo art projects are helping Australia’s drought-affected rural cities to discover new life as outdoor art galleries. According to Green, there are at least 50 cities pursuing government grants to get proposed silo art projects off the ground. It is truly the ultimate road trip for Australia.