NOW OPEN: EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR NEW COMMISSION
Reimagining public space through temporary sculpture, story, and community.
The Ballarat Empty Plinth Project is an annual public art initiative inviting artists to create temporary sculptural works for display in Ballarat’s Intercultural Gardens. The City of Ballarat works closely with Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) to deliver this project, that fosters contemporary responses to place, ecology, identity and belonging through artist-led approaches.
Each year, a new artist is commissioned to present a site-responsive work, sparking dialogue between people, community and the natural environment. The project is part of the City of Ballarat’s Temporary Public Art Program and forms a dynamic platform for creative voices to animate public space.
Expressions of Interest are now open!
Submit your proposal and be part of a program that celebrates creativity, diversity, and connection.
Kathy Holowko, Nesting
Kathy Holowko, a Central Highlands-based artist of Ukrainian heritage, brought her distinctive sculptural practice to the Intercultural Gardens near City Oval. Her work explores ecology, urban life and the systems that shape how we live together. For this commission, Kathy drew inspiration from native animal shelters and the concept of “home” as a shared experience across species and cultures. The completed installation reflects care, kinship and coexistence, with organic forms and textures that evoke natural rhythms and cultural traditions.
Kathy has created the sculptural work called Nesting inaugural Empty Plinth Program.
“The site of the Intercultural Gardens honours our multicultural society, and this sculpture symbolises the universal importance of home and community. Home is a feeling. Ideally, it is a place of comfort, safety, and gives us a sense of belonging to enable us to reach a fulfilling, purposeful, and flourishing life. The wooden forms in this sculpture represent the concept of home and are based on the domed shaped nests of the local, native, Superb Fairy Wren. The collection of nests form a united community where our multi-species kin are also considered an important part of this community.”
The Empty Plinth Program is part of the City of Ballarat’s Temporary Public Art Program and celebrates evolving, site-responsive artworks in public spaces. Developed with community input, the Intercultural Gardens provide a gathering place for celebration and shared meaning, and Kathy’s work now stands as a sculptural invitation to reflect on belonging and connection.
This project demonstrates the City of Ballarat’s commitment to fostering contemporary public art and supporting artist-led approaches that respond to place, community and environment.
