Imagine if... imagining the Frankston Pier

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BACKGROUND 'Imagine If...imagining the Frankston Pier' contributes to a broader body of knowledge exploring critical spatial practice through an examination of the nexus between art and architecture. It draws on the work of UK theorist Jane Rendell's critical spatial practice that "transgresses the limits of art and architecture and engages with both the social and the aesthetic, the public and the private." Through the project's site specificity and public engagement, it also taps into Nicolaus Bourriaud's concept of relational aesthetics that "encourages an inter-human commerce that differs from the "communication zones" that are imposed upon us." CONTRIBUTION 'Imagine If...imagining the Frankston Pier' was the result of a $3000 grant awarded by Arts Victoria and won through a competitive process as part of the Frankston White Street Project (WSP). The work was peer reviewed in a published conference proceeding for the 2013 Critique Conference held at the University of South Australia. SIGNIFICANCE The work expands the audience for this kind of critical spatial practice through its children's design workshops and online forum. It also forms part of an important body of artistic work within a major Australian regional city, funded and supported by Arts Victoria and RMIT University. Federal, state and local Australian governments have been actively fostering cultural and artistic production within Australia's regional cities. 'Imagine If... Imagining the Frankston Pier' is aligned with this ambition. Frankston City is a major regional centre on the edge of Port Phillip Bay, a vital commercial, recreational and cultural centre. As the 2013 selected artists for the WSP we contributed to this public collection of work to celebrate the cultural value of regional cities.