The lack of a physical base didn’t keep them from being very active and participating in major events like Art&About, Sydney Festival First Night, Peats Ridge, and I ♥ Kings Cross which saw Fitzroy Gardens trees and sculptures wrapped in colourful knitting. The Knot crew also morphed into “107 Projects”, named after the space’s previous unit number, and worked towards becoming a not-for-profit cultural organisation.
After five years of looking for a new space, they finally found the perfect opportunity in an old warehouse owned by the City of Sydney. The huge but run-down space at 107 Redfern Street has since been transformed into a beautiful gallery with 10 artists’ studios and premises for local groups like Tribal Warrior and TAFE outreach program PLACE. The 107 team’s hard work had finally paid off and the launch on Thursday September 6 of their first exhibition, Why White?, was an emotional one.
In her inaugural speech, Visual Arts Director, Michelle McCosker, talked about why they didn’t want to have the white walls usually found in art galleries: “The colour of our walls is so important because it’s a symbol for how 107 operates: warm, inviting, not intimidating and not alienating. Basically an art home away from home for everybody.”
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who had been supporting the project for several years, was also present to officially open the space: “Creativity is a hallmark of all successful cities and it needs to be nurtured from the ground up, with support for people who push the boundaries and enlarge our thinking, who go for the new and risky, not just the tried and true. When we encourage creativity in the community, we help build stronger and healthier communities, where people feel free to express themselves, to exercise their imaginations and where they know their contribution is valued.”
The following Saturday saw 107 Projects open its doors to the public, who were invited to discover the building, wander around the artists’ studios and talk to the occupants, restore themselves with a hot-dog, or browse through the second-hand books and clothes in the gallery shop. Kids were not forgotten either, as they were given the possibility to express their own creativity by painting on canvas totes, and and even watch a magic show in the brand new performance room (the Living Room).
107 Projects strives for the space to become “a vibrant cultural hub in the heart of Redfern”, and in addition to regular art exhibitions, the public will be able to attend music and theatre performances, as well as arts & crafts workshops.
