Page 53 - Annual Review 2010

ReLiVe 53
callum morton ‘ghost world’
26 June – 17 october 2010 | goma
opposite: the street facades of callum morton’s
‘ghost world’ hid unexpected interiors for children
to discover and explore.
right: young visitors participating in Ghost City, one of three hands-
on activities in the children’s art centre exhibition ‘ghost world’ by
callum morton | image courtesy: the artist, anna schwartz gallery,
melbourne, and roslyn oxley9 gallery, sydney | photograph: brad
wagner
i wanted to build a forgotten fantasy town for kids
with a main street lined with shops, a bank and
a museum. but unlike the familiar idea of a ghost
town often played out in theme park ‘worlds’, the
abandoned buildings in this town are more modern
than older looking . . . when country towns are
abandoned, they take on another quality. the patina
of time gives them a sadness that i am drawn to.
callum morton
this large-scale installation for
children by leading australian
artist callum morton, was directly
inspired by the artist’s ongoing
interest in architecture and art.
morton transformed the park Level
of the children art centre into an
unexpected street scene, featuring a
series of building facades similar to
sets built for movies and television
shows. children were able to venture
up and down the street and explore
what was beyond the exterior walls.
the installation included film,
animation, and visual and sound
effects, as well as three hands-on
activities relating to the exhibition
themes. there were over 430 000
visitors to goma, including 70 000
children, during ‘ghost world’.