Adelaide City Bike Art Trail

by Steve Hudson (subscribe)

Sports and the Arts don't usually mix together well, so when I saw the Adelaide City Council's new public art project - the Adelaide City Bike Art Trail - there was a degree of scepticism kick in.




But lo and behold, after taking a tour of each of the eleven locations throughout the Central Business District and North Adelaide, my scepticism faded as I saw how these apparently two opposites could work together.




For those unaware, and I am not sure how you could miss some of these pieces including the large fork on Melbourne Street, the Bike Art Trail comprises eleven large scale sculptural works which either sit alongside or incorporate a public bike rack. The works have been crafted in such a manner so as to symbolise meaning within their location, for example the Fork in Melbourne Street is a reflection of the eateries along the street, while the coat hangers in Rundle Street pays homage to Joff and Razak of Miss Gladys Sym Choon, recognised pioneers of fashion and of Rundle Street Culture.




I remain unsure as to whether the thought behind the Bike Art Trail concept is that cyclists may head from site to site in one afternoon observing the different pieces of work, or perhaps whether they may use the different bike racks on different days as part of their travels to the City and North Adelaide. My observations are that the artworks are rarely used as bike racks, but more often as decoration or talking points.




Nevertheless, the artworks around the City are certainly talking points. The Onion Rings outside the Central Markets, the Fork in Melbourne Street or the Camouflaged looking donuts outside of the Adelaide Zoo certainly create lots of conversation. My personal favourite is the Parking Pole in Hindley Street, a bronzed relic of a piece that stands tall amongst the local streetscape and reflects the first ever bike park installed by the City of Adelaide many years ago, albeit inadvertently.




The artworks have been commissioned by Adelaide City Council, with assistance from the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA. Seven artists were commissioned to prepare the eleven pieces of work. For further details refer to the City of Adelaide website.




A little known fact : There are now over 550 bike parks / rails throughout the CBD and North Adelaide.

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Why? Bike parks come in many shapes and sizes

When: All the time

Website: www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/explore-the-city/see-do/maps-and-trails/bike-art-trail

Where: Adelaide, South Australia

Cost: Free

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