Donna Marcus

Artist Donna Marcus is celebrated for her creative reinvention of discarded aluminium kitchenware, referencing, and transforming these everyday items into captivating public art. Her sculptures often draw viewers into kitchens and homes familiar, remembered and imagined. Her interest in the stories these objects reveal the beauty in the ordinary.

Commissioned by Frasers Property Australia, we collaborated with Marcus to create ‘Trellis’, which was installed at WeAreLiving Brunswick, located at 210 Brunswick St, Brisbane. We took the lead as the Public Art Curator, Designer, and Delivery Partner. From crafting the Art Opportunities Report to selecting the artist, providing creative briefings, handling contracting, assisting with design elements, technical design, and undertaking artwork fabrication and installation, we proudly oversaw the entire journey.

In ‘Trellis’ Marcus expands an iconic body of public artworks across Brisbane. Using repeated modules arranged in bold, structured compositions, the work reflects the rhythms of the city’s urban landscape to give the building a distinct identity.

'Trellis’ comprises two impressive soffit-mounted components, each with integrated lighting, adding further depth and dynamic visual interest to the space. The first component comprises a single-layer made from 228 meticulously arranged aluminium die-cast steamers, forming a captivating hexagonal form that weighs 136kg. The second component while even more visually streamlined, presents a more complex construction of five layers incorporating a total of 270 steamers and weighing 102kg. The careful integration of lighting not only highlights the vibrant shapes and shadows of the pieces but also enhances their structural elegance.