12 December 2022
Tasmanian artists will have their art displayed on the walls of the two new Spirit of Tasmania vessels when they arrive on Bass Strait in 2024.
The Handmark Gallery was awarded the contract by ship builder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) and Spirit of Tasmania to source artwork for the vessels.
Director of Handmark Gallery and Art Consultant Allanah Dopson will work with the ship architect to carefully select Tasmanian pieces to complement different spaces on board.
“I am so excited to receive the contract and I couldn’t wait to start sharing the news with everyone,” she said.
The new ships, which can accommodate up to 1800 passengers per voyage, will feature a number of carefully curated spaces that highlight the incredible creativity of Tasmania.
“The ship and artwork on board will give passengers a real feeling of being enveloped by Tasmania,” Ms Dopson said.
“For artists selected there will be a great sense of pride and excitement when the project is finished.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for local artists to showcase their work to the thousands of Australian and international tourists who will travel on these ferries each year.
“We have a lot of artists here in Tasmania and I always think we punch way above our weight in terms of the number of artists we have when compared to the population.”
Ms Dopson said hanging the work of Tasmanian artists on the Spirit of Tasmania vessel walls provided a great opportunity to showcase the array of artistic talent here in Tasmania.
“Landscape in Tasmania is so important to our artists, photographers and the people who live here, so to be able to present the whole Tasmanian landscape on the new ships is just so exciting,” she said.
“I am really looking forward to working with Richard Nielsen from Nielsen & Associates Architects and the team from Spirit of Tasmania to research as many artists as I can and bring the artistic vision to fruition. “
“I am absolutely elated to be conducting this project and getting the best results for Tasmania.”
RMC formally started construction of Spirit of Tasmania IV earlier this year when the first steel was cut at a traditional ceremony at the RMC facility in Finland.
While the new ships will be a similar design to the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels, they will feature substantially larger capacity for passengers, passenger vehicles and freight.
Released by:
Nicolas Turner
Tel: 0418 538 865
