Alternative Media Group

Newtown carpark provides unexpected space for Guerilla Art Fair

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Staff Writer

Posted:

Thursday, 22 September 2011

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Last week 24 little known artists set up in an unexpected location in the middle of Newtown for the Guerrilla Art Fair.

The fair included a variety of local and affordable art, while music was provided by one of the founders of the Free Party Movement in the UK.

Artcore organiser Chris Lego said events like these were important because they found alternative uses for public space.

“We provided a unique showcase for 24 artists to reach the public in a special location in Newtown that hadn’t been used for anything before except for parking cars,” he said. “Every artist had a car space and the symbolism wasn’t lost on the punters.

“It’s about transforming a largely unused space for something other than parking.”

“You could have parked your car there for 5 hours, instead an artist brought the place alive for a short period of time . . . and all the artists walked away with money.”

Mr Lego said the fair, which is part of the Festival of Free Spaces and this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, proved you could hold large scale events without excessive security.

“There was no dickhead factor, the event was a successful exercise in self management,” he said.

Mr Lego believes the art fair is “a really simple idea done on a bigger scale” and said the beauty of this kind of party is that anyone can put it together.

Festival of Free Spaces celebrates communal public spaces and community spirit in the Newtown and Inner West area. It is put together by a loose collective of more than 50 artists, DJs, musicians, organisers and dreamers.

The final event, Reclaim Lanes, is on at 2pm this Saturday at Peace Park.

By Jade London

Local art for sale at the Guerilla Art Fair. Photo: Jason Marshall

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