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Art in Design – Engagement and Collaboration for Meaningful Artwork Integration

a Q&A with Madison Bauer

Art tells a story. It is a vehicle through which we can see and be seen. It reflects reality whilst offering imagination, possibility, reflection and inclusion. It’s the perfect way to tell stories of place and culture as it’s a language we can all share. It uses the senses to communicate, inviting conversation and supporting belonging. Design and art have always been interwoven, each informing the other, the meeting place of form and function. Great design considers art as a solution to practical problems. Yes, we can build and create, but how will people respond? How can colour, images, sounds, materials, and smells change the experience of a space, and how can we best incorporate art with sensitivity, genuine consultation, visibility and pride?

First Nations artwork is thought to be the oldest, continuing art tradition in the world. It is central to culture, storytelling and community. As the built environment changes the landscape of our natural world, art can be the bridge that keeps us connected to culture and history. It’s a way to recognise ourselves and learn about others. It can be subtle or direct, always asking something of us as it offers ideas, memories, meaning and hope. It can be comforting and challenging, all at the same time. It is essential to our understanding of ourselves and growing empathy for others.

The integration of First Nations art into design, is a strong tool to acknowledge people, place, and Country. It sites a building externally and internally, reflecting its surroundings, and including flora, fauna, land and sky.

We have been involved in art integration on a number of recent projects in the sectors of education, workplace, and community. It has been a privilege to work alongside artists supporting their work into these various spaces and ensuring appropriate integration for cultural sensitivity and accurate portrayal.

We sat down with one of our Senior Interior Designers Madison Bauer, to hear about her experience with artwork integration including with First Nations artists, and how we incorporate artwork into the design of our projects.

Q: Tell us about your experience with art integration and why you think it is important within interior and exterior design.

MB: For me, art plays an important role in creating inspiring and impactful spaces, with endless ways for integration in both internal and external applications. My first experience in integrating artwork was within a workplace flexi hub project for the ACT Government, across two different sites. The first site, located within Tuggeranong, involved the creation and integration of artwork depicting the Murrumbidgee River. This involved tracing the river into a line drawing which wrapped one side of the office.

The second site, located within Belconnen, involved the integration of First Nations artwork with four commissioned paintings by Ngunnawal Kamillaroi artist Richie Allan, which reflects the valuable resources found on the journey down the river (Ginninderra Creek) from Mulligans Flat to Lake Ginninderra. In consultation with Richie, these artworks were translated and abstracted into large wall graphics.

Majority of the art integration projects I have worked on have embedded First Nations knowledge within the design, using art as a meaningful vehicle to connect occupants with the cultural narrative shared by the contributing Elders and/or Knowledge Holders. When done correctly, embedding First Nations Art within the built environment can be a powerful way to start conversations and continue the sharing of knowledge between the community, helping to creating spaces that feel culturally safe.

Feedback on the First Nations art integration at Aunty Agnes Shea High School has been very positive. In discussions with the school’s executive team, they noted the inclusion of artwork integration has meaningfully contributed to the school’s culture, sense of belonging and cultural safety of their school community, strengthening their values ‘Yerrabai Galubuyi Winnyu – Walking Together, Shaping Tomorrow. Ngidji – Kindness, Galubuyi – Incluivity and Naangi – Curiosity’. This reinforced for me how thoughtful design can positively shape someone’s experience of a space, helping them feel safe, seen, and that they belong.

Q: How do you translate an artwork into design? What involvement does the artist have and how do you work with suppliers of products to integrate this into materials?

MB: Every project will have a slightly different translation journey, which I think is one of the beautiful aspects of artwork integration – the journey and relationship between the design team and the artist. I believe the most successful projects are when integration is considered from the beginning and the artist is involved throughout the entirety of the design and construction works. A transparent and collaborative relationship is key to great outcomes, regardless of the constraints within a project, and conversations involving artwork requirements, how it is to be integrated, artist payment and ICIP/IP should all be discussed prior to any engagement.

During production, some elements may need minor adjustments, whether due to print colour shifts or broader manufacturing and fabrication constraints. These changes could compromise the integrity of the art, which is why it’s crucial to keep the artist involved throughout construction. One recurring challenge we see with physical artworks is that high‑resolution scans can capture shadows and surface texture, which may translate poorly when converting the artwork into vector files and require refining and slight modification with the artist.

Throughout the process of Aunty Agnes Shea High School, the design team worked closely with each artist, through group workshops and follow on correspondence, to ensure the integration of the original artwork was done so in a culturally appropriate way with final approval and sign off. This project was an important learning experience for us and has helped guide our artist engagement processes.

Q: How did you approach the artwork integration for the Gugan Gulwan? Can you tell us about the design of the balustrade and sculptural light?

MB: Upon ck architecture’s engagement of Gugan Gulwan, we built upon the nominated placeholders, in a co-design process. This started with conversations on Gugan Galwan’s wishes for each piece and continued with close collaboration throughout each iteration during design development and construction.

Gum and Eucalyptus leaves were chosen as the focal point of the balustrade pattern, emphasising the different varieties of leaf types. When discussing the initial concept, Gugan Gulwan noted how the different leaf types arranged together symbolises the Gugan Gulwan community, with people coming together from all Country. Different gum and eucalyptus leaves were documented from the site and surrounding suburbs, which were then traced and arranged to create the balustrade perforated pattern. This was used internally and externally, with the same leaf shapes being represented within the external concrete.

For the sculptural light there were many iterations of what this could be, with the final concept focusing on the importance of the Bogong Moth to the surrounding regions. It was important to Gugan Gulwan that 12 moths were represented within this sculpture, as well as the material allowing light to reflect and refract through, connecting the viewer up to sky through the void. This was translated into the sculptural light through the laser cut patterning to the metal tubes, representing the shapes and layering of Bogong Moths when clustered together, with 12 glass moths suspended as if they were flying around the tubes.

Holly Grace, Australian glass artist who was undertaking a residency at the Canberra Glassworks, had previous experience in making blown glass Bogong Moths. For the sculpture at Gugan Gulwan, we gave Holly the design concept which included size range, colours and indicative suspended heights. Each moth is made from blown glass panels, coloured using glass powders and metal leaf surfaces with a fired on gold lustre backing to create the moth outline. They are then all picked up hot and further manipulated to make them 3D, organically creating differences between each one. Holly adapted her process slightly to create much larger moths to suit the scale of the void, the phototransfer method was adjusted slightly to make the moths transparent and she also worked with a jeweller to create a delicate fixing solution that the moths could be suspended from.

Q: Final thoughts

MB: Every project I’ve worked on that has involved collaborating with an artist has been a wonderful and positive learning experience. There is something special about working with an artist and seeing the final concept built, ready to be experienced by those who use the space. I think the biggest challenges tend to arise when the integration process is not genuinely collaborative. When you are integrating someone else’s work into your project, it’s important to approach it in a respectful and empathetic way, as every artist will have their own preferences for how their work is represented. This is especially true when integrating First Nations Art where cultural knowledge is embedded within.

One of my favourite art integration pieces so far has to be the sculptural light at Gugan Gulwan. It is truly a collaboration between the whole team – Gugan Gulwan, ACT Government, Projex, ck architecture, Holly Grace, Canweld, Axis Rigging and Capitol Bond Electrical – with many hours of work between design and coordination meetings, load testing, and protypes. Seeing the complete installation was magical, with Gugan Gulwan’s concept brought to life through everyone’s hard work and willingness to make it happen!

I look forward to listening and learning from each artist that I work with in the future and meaningfully contributing to the design of spaces that foster connection, safety and belonging.

Artwork featured in this interview:

Pre-summer by Bek Weddell (2023)

Fishing by Richie Allan (2023)

Bush Medicine by Richie Allan (2023)

Canoes and Coolamons by Richie Allan (2023)

Tools and Ochre Pits by Richie Allan (2023)

Autumn by Richie Allan (2023)

Bogong Moths by Holly Grace (2024)

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