Abdul Abdullah and Patricia Piccinini bring bold works to upcoming Melbourne Metro Stations

12 Aug 2022

Abdul Abdullah and Patricia Piccinini have been selected to present a large-scale permanent installation for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel new underground stations. Abdullah and Piccinini artists will be transforming the spaces at Arden Station and Parkville Station respectively, in hope of heightening the vibrancy of Melbourne.

Piccinini will create a work adapting to Parkville Station — Enveloped by medical establishments, her works will create a moment of respite for patients, families, and hardworking researchers. Known for her amalgamation of hybrid humans, animals, and other entities often questioning ethical dilemmas, her installation allows a space for nature, beautiful verdant greens, and ripening colours of fruit on a tree.

Piccinini adds, “In our contemporary lives, our minds are so switched on and looking for stimulus, it’s actually really hard to go, ‘I’m just going to look at this and to see it and just be with it’. The work has to invite people to do that. That’s my dream response.”

“I hope this work will make people feel kind of fortified. Even though you’re moving, even though you’re on your way, you can relax and meditate on this colourful work and the vibrations that come off it,”

The new stations’ artworks and architectural design features will become new landmarks in the cultural fabric of the city, incorporating elements of design and fine arts into the everyday lives of locals and visitors. Currently under development, the artists are working with station architects and engineers in creating their pieces, and will only be revealed to the public before the opening of the Metro Tunnel in 2025.

Image: Patricia Piccinini posing infront of Parkville Station under construction.