Flower of the Alpine Sun

The Falls Creek Gateway Public Art Commission is an initiative by the Falls Creek Arts & Culture Strategy 2016-2021. The Project's vision is to construct an inspirational public artwork in the alpine landscape, above the village, that will become an iconic tourist destination highlighting environmental awareness and education.

Flower of the Alpine Sun, by Australian artist Giovanni Veronesi, will be a year-round attraction providing significant economic and community benefits to the region. The artwork will help re-vitalise the local economy and importantly, inform and educate the public to the beauty and fragility of Victoria's alpine environment through on-site information and broader engagement programs including 3D augmentation.

The Artwork to be funded

Flower of the Alpine Sun won the open public tender convened by the Falls Creek Arts and Culture Committee in conjunction with the Melbourne Prize Trust. Veronesi's ambitious work was selected via a competitive two-stage EOI process by a curatorial panel of contemporary art experts, including the director of the Benalla Art Gallery.

The sculpture operates as a majestic public viewing platform consisting of a golden orb; part sun, part flower, which will be spot lit and thematically fitted for year-round use. In each season the work will manifest a different aspect of the surrounding peaks and valleys, creating a contemplative space for reflection of Falls Creek's delicate alpine ecology and the changing climate, which is continually providing new challenges for alpine flora and fauna.

Complementing existing and much-loved public artworks throughout the resort and implemented by the Falls Creek Arts and Culture Committee, Flower of the Alpine Sun will be located in a prominent walk-out position easily accessible for all abilities in all seasons. It will be promoted as an accessible year-round destination and help raise awareness of our collective responsibility for protecting this ecology for future generations. On-site visitor information and ongoing marketing and social media will be undertaken to promote the project, including 3D augmentation.

The Victorian (indeed Australian snowfields) are the pinnacle of our fragile ecosystem. As a pristine environment, Falls Creek is connected to Victoria's communities as an award winning popular year-round recreational destination and as a key catchment and provider of Victoria's water and electricity supply.

The installation of Flower of Alpine Sun is targeted at renewal, rebranding, improvement of amenities and community formation   for a regional resort reliant on seasonal tourism.

Project highlights & economic impact:

• Economic impact: Modest visitation assumptions (300 per weekend and 200 each midweek) are associated with $31 million in visitor expenditure (expenditure data source: Tourism Research Australia; National Visitor Survey 2019).
• Project cost: total cost of the project including the artist fee and marketing is $750,000. Substantial private sector investment is being sought and community funding of $50,000 has been pledged to date.
• Funding model: The project is seeking a 50/50 collaboration with the public and private sectors - $375,000 government funding and $187,500 private/philanthropic funding and $187,500 Community Funding.
• Flower of the Alpine Sun will be a unique piece of public fine art in regional Australia and internationally.
• Economic contribution: Falls Creek is an economic driver for the region and contributes $400 million to the regional economy each year - $310m during winter and $90m in summer.