IT’S the great vanishing act.
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A striking work of art that has become a feature of Wickham will no longer be visible to the public after a new development gets off the ground.
A fence was quietly erected on Hannell Street this week as preparatory works on the project begin, partly obstructing Matt Adnate’s eye-catching mural of a young Indigenous boy, painted as part of the Hit the Bricks festival in 2013.
An eight-storey unit complex, which had its development application lodged with Newcastle City Council in 2010, will be built in front of it, effectively burying Adnate’s work.
It will be the third Hit the Bricks mural to vanish, after Guido Van Helton’s Stewart Avenue mural was painted over in July last year.
A second Adnate piece will go after work begins on the redevelopment of the Gibson Street car park, approved by the council earlier this week.
Rob Unicomb, of GHT Holdings, the developer behind the Hannell Street project, sympathised with those who would be sad to see the mural go.
“It’s sad because everyone is so impressed by it. I’m impressed by it, it’s a beautiful piece of work,” Mr Unicomb said.
“But there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s either the mural or not build the building, unfortunately.”
Mr Unicomb suggested the mural could be recreated elsewhere in the city.
“The best thing we can do is to come forward with suggestions about where else we can have this wonderful work,” he said.
“We could get the artist to come back, if he wants to, because we need more of this. If someone comes up with a suggestion, let’s act on it.”
Let Topics know if you have any suggestions.
Construction is expected to begin in six months.
Slogan on a tinnie
IT’S been a tough week for the University of Newcastle.
The institution has weathered something of a PR storm after the unveiling of a new slogan, “The World Needs New”.
The university copped protests from students and staff, environmental and refugee advocates after some long-term issues bubbled to the surface in such a spectacular way.
Time for a drink, we think.
And Tooheys has them covered.
After students again lampooned the university’s new slogan on the Facebook page UoN Memes, posting a picture of a Tooheys New tinny, imploring students “have a cold one” in celebration of the slogan, Tooheys gave them the nod of approval.
“Stoked to be bringing the students of NEWcastle into the NEW world #theworldneedsNEW,” the savvy reply from Tooheys read.
The students asked for “remuneration or potential sponsorship packages”.
Brilliant.
Watch out, Tinder fella
DEAR Premier,
Can we please idiot-proof our light rail?
Topics is concerned about ignorant pedestrians, mostly found staring down at their phones, off in another universe, oblivious to the dangers around them.
It has been pointed out to us that the government’s light rail artwork for Newcastle features the most glaring example of a young man in imminent danger.
One hand in his pocket, another hand on his phone, with a light-rail train seemingly bounding towards him.
Not the time to be on Tinder, old mate!
Sincerely,
Topics
