What Wurundjeri Way Once Was, 1837 (with apologies to John Gollings); and Before/Now, 2013

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RESEARCH BACKGROUND: 'Peter Corrigan: Cities of Hope' exhibition at RMIT Gallery honoured the work of the internationally renowned Melbourne architecture practice of Edmond & Corrigan, Corrigan's set and costume design for threatre, his personal library and art collection and objects from his office. Mauro Baracco (and Louise Wright) were two of 22 people invited by the architecture community to respond to Corrigan's work. 'What Wurundjeri Way Once Was 1837' and 'Before/Now 2013', two digital montages which were included in the exhibition, are the result. The 'Cities of Hope' exhibition followed the publication of a new monograph of Edmond & Corrigan's work by Thames and Hudson. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: The innovative character of these works resides in their intention to establish a new alternative discourse through architects, landscape architects and urban designers that instigates reflection on urban environments through the imagining of historical natural and landscape conditions.These works create a new knowledge in the fields of urban, landscape and architectural design by encouraging thinking regarding the relationship between the presence of lost places, contemporary human psyche and associated various current imaginings of the city. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: RMIT Gallery is a highly-regarded Melbourne gallery. It has a longstanding commitment to innovative exhibitions that represent divergent artistic practices. 'Cities of Hope' is the first major public exhibiton on the work of Edmond & Corrigan, and the first major exhibition on a single architect's contribution to Melbourne architectural culture in over ten years. The value of this project is further evidenced by the 10,105 people who attended [exhibition report], the review in 'The Age' (Ray Edgar, Dreaming up a city of hope', April 2013) and the review in the leading Australian professional journal 'Architecture Australia' (Ricky Ricardo, Peter Corrigan: Cities of Hope', a review, May 2013).