16 Oct, 2020

Musée Extérieur comes to the East End

Following the popularity of the Musée Extérieur (Outdoor Museum) trail in North Adelaide, another area of the city will be filled with life-size reproductions of European Masters to transform ordinary walls into a spectacular outdoor art gallery.

The second iteration of Musée Extérieur: European art on the walls of Adelaide, a curated, outdoor art trail, will wind through the streets and laneways of Adelaide’s historic East End from this Friday 16 October.

Get up close and personal with ten life-size reproductions of European Master paintings from as early as the 15th century. The paintings are from the collections of the Thomas Henry Museum in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France.

The trail begins at the National Wine Centre, travels through the Park Lands on East Terrace, visiting cafes, restaurants and bars along Hutt Street and Halifax Street. The trail then circles back along the bike path down Regent Street North and Frome Road to the historic Charlick Court, finally finishing in the bustling cultural and historic hub of Ebenezer Place and Rundle Street.

Lord Mayor of Adelaide Sandy Verschoor was delighted to see Musée Extérieur extended to the East End of the city.

“The North Adelaide trail was launched on Bastille Day and is still going strong. Now we have ten different pieces of wonderful European art set to make an apearance throughout the East End.

“Many people may be missing travelling abroad so this outdoor exhibition offers locals and visitors a European art history experience right here in Adelaide.

“This new art exhibition trail is a great way to rediscover the East End while taking the time to enjoy these fascinating pieces of art. Each artwork has been curated especially for each particular site to make the most of the laneways and history of the East End.

“There are many fantastic cafes, bars and restaurants in the area too so take the time to stop for refreshments as you meander through this open-air art gallery.”

Several well-known Adelaidians have chosen pieces of art for the exhibition, including Simon Frost, Director of Greenway Architects SA, Julie Moralee, President of the East End Coordination Group and Claire Boan, Mayor of Port Adelaide and Enfield.

City of Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE) Mayor, Claire Boan, said of her choice, “Oceans and seas are vast, yet we are connected across the globe through these waters. Petit’s Gatteville Lighthouse shows the tumultuous connection between land and sea. Similarly, our Port has many stories of heartache and joy from people’s maritime travels through the years.

“The City of PAE has developed a fantastic relationship with Cherbourg in art, culture, education and business development, based on opportunities created through the growth of the Future Submarine Program.”

Power is the underlying theme behind the curation of the East End Musée Extérieur art trail. Power is depicted in many ways in the artworks: in crashing waves, immense light, and nature’s undergrowth, in revelation, strength, battle and peace, and in determination, love and scandal.

Musée Extérieur: European art on the walls of Adelaide is a partnership between the City of Adelaide and Ville de Cherbourg-en-Cotentin in France.

The exhibit was proposed last year when a delegation from Cherbourg visited South Australia to meet with state and local officials as part of France’s Naval Group’s upcoming build of the $50 billion Future Submarine fleet at Osborne.

Follow the trail and read detailed descriptions of the artworks on the website.

We encourage everyone to share their photos of the art trail on social media using #MyAdelaide.

List of locations:

1. National Wine Centre – Corner of Hackney Road & Botanic Road (Artwork selected by Claire Boan, Mayor of Port Adelaide and Enfield)
2. Glover Playground East – East Terrace
3. Chianti Restaurant – 160 Hutt Street
4. Arab Steed Hotel – 241 Hutt Street
5. Halifax Café - 187 Halifax Street
6. Greenway Architects- 207 Angas Street (Artwork selected by Simon Frost, Director of Greenway Architects SA)
7. WEA, 223 Angas Street
8. Chateau Apollo, grey wall, 188 Grenfell St, corner of Pulteney Street (Artwork selected by Julie Moralee, President East End Coordination Group, East End resident and business owner)
9. Maras Group, Charlick Building, corner of Rundle Street and Ebenezer Place (Artwork selected by Sara Della Verde, Maras Group
10. Stag Hotel, 299 Rundle Street.

Paula Stevens