Art Pharmacy was engaged by Centuria and MA Financial to commission an artwork for the newly refurbished lobby at 25 Grenfell in Adelaide’s bustling CBD.
This project involved the creation of an art strategy and programme for the lobby of 25 Grenfell, with consideration of its key location fronting the East-West Boulevard in Adelaide’s CBD, blue chip tenants and a newly finished contemporary space.
25 Grenfell is a vibrant modern property with market-leading end-of-trip facilities, cafe, retail and full time concierge services. Art Pharmacy saw the artwork commission as another opportunity to shape this premium tower’s new and impactful identity and platform Adelaide’s growing artistic scene. Due to the position of the artwork behind the concierge desk, Art Pharmacy also developed and facilitated a lighting strategy that worked closely with the space’s interior design to highlight the artwork commission.
Art Pharmacy curated a selection of local artists with diverse wall-based practices from painting to ceramics and tapestry for the client to consider. Lisa Khan was the commissioned artist, a First Nations artist from the Coober Pedy region. Khan’s works depict her grandmother’s country at Mount Barry, and her grandfather’s Country at Wallintina Station. Khan is strongly connected to Country and her grandparents through painting. Within her work are deeply personal stories of looking for opals, playing in the sand, learning to hunt lizards and bearded dragons, cooking these and looking for bush tucker.
For 25 Grenfell, Khan created “Opal Dust, My Mother’s Country”, a captivating 3.5 metre long acrylic on linen painting. The work is vibrant and mesmerising, a central feature of the lobby that can be viewed from multiple points both outside the building and upon entry. It creates a striking and positive first impression of the lobby. The storytelling imbued throughout Khan’s work is shared with a new audience working on unceded Kaurna land, extending the legacy of South Australia’s connection to Country.
The commission is a testament to the depth of First Nations artistic heritage in South Australia and the clients’ commitment to creating meaningful places and experiences for their tenants.
