No Art Here - Galleria Crocodillo
Galleria Crocodillo has no art on their walls for the month of May. Instead they’ve staged a scavenger hunt across the streets of the affectionately known ‘Presevoir’ (Preston / Reservoir for those not in the know). The starting point is a $2 map purchased from a vending machine that blocks the door of the gallery space. This map gives you ten destinations across Plenty Rd in Reservoir and High St in Preston to explore. Each destination is matched with a clue. Not only is this a scavenger hunt, but it’s equally a puzzle; the clues are also riddles that have you searching high and low, and the prize in this case is spotting the art from these local artists.
Stop reading here if you don’t want spoilers for the hunt!!
We went in map order and started at #1 on the map with Maria Colaidis’ Emmy and Jessie. A pair of larger than life portraits of dolls displayed on the exterior wall of Natural Habitat. Colaidis has also added an extra layer to the scavenger hunt by hiding further paste ups of these two girls around the area, offering a print as a prize to the first to find all ten. Number 2 on the map are Judy Kuo’s drawings which have been expertly puzzle pieced to fit into the switchboard cupboard of Desert Highways, the skate and record store opposite Galleria Crocodillo. This cupboard was a hard find; the riddle had us looking in all the wrong directions trying to find a record from The Doors or a poster that might have a secret underneath. #3 was hiding at Steam Jacket brewery; Alison McLeod’s Perfect Match are little creatures tucked into an overhead nook in the brewery. My favourite hiding place we uncovered was Vootsak’s drawing on the inside of the door to an unused wine fridge at the Preston Bottle Shop in stop #8. The staff at all these locations were so lovely and welcoming. They seemed to be enjoying us tramping through their businesses, having a chat, and pointing us in the right direction to find what we were after. Dragonfly cafe at #9 on the map even sent me and my friend on our way with a bread roll each and a promise to return when she was open, because we’d come in after close to find Yvette Gysen-Newman’s secretly hidden bugs.
The No Art Here scavenger hunt would be a great date to take someone on, especially your friends, which is exactly what I did. Unfortunately, my chosen time slot to go on this art adventure, early afternoon on a Sunday, left us only able to view some of the work. The main drawback of this style of presentation is that the opening hours of the business don’t necessarily line up with one another. We still managed to catch a fair few of the artworks, and meet some friendly members of the community along the way, but sadly we missed out on some pieces just because the shops they resided in were closed. This drawback could equally be argued to stem from the same thing that makes this show so unique and engaging. This exhibition showcases the community in this neighbourhood by having these works strewn across the area, tucked into vastly different businesses, causing a catalyst for connection within the community across wellness cafes to record store to bars and barbers alike. The exhibition encouraging scavengers to engage with the shop keepers that have welcomed these artists.
No Art Here is on until the 24th of May, so take your $2 coins and go for a walk!