I AM sculpture installed at Geelong Botanical Gardens

THE Geelong Botanic Gardens will be the home of the I AM public artwork for the next 12 months.

The 2m concrete structure recognises community members who have a lived experience with disability and their achievements.

It acknowledges the empowerment of diversity and draws on political and pop culture statements including 1968 Memphis black sanitation workers slogan “I an a man”, and Helen Reddy’s 1971 song I Am Woman.

The artwork is designed to be relocated annually around the municipality, and most recently was installed at Drysdale’s Potato Shed.

City of Greater Geelong executive director placemaking said the public piece reinforces the notion of everyone being welcome.

“Embedded with words and names from community members with disability, I AM has reached a wide audience having previously been installed in Drysdale, Pako Street, Lara and the Geelong Waterfront.

“The sculpture invites passersby to be a part of the work – you can position yourself within I AM to take photos that will form a collective voice celebrating the diversity of our local community.

“I encourage the community to visit the public artwork and use the hashtag #IAMGeelong when posting photos to social media.”

Geelong MP Christine Couzens agreed, saying: “The I AM sculpture will be a great addition, and attraction, to the Geelong Botanic Gardens.”

Funded by the Victorian government through the Community Support Fund, I AM was delivered in 2021 in partnership with VALiD (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disabilities) and Geelong-based ArtGusto.

The work was commissioned by Mark Cuthbertson and artist-collaborators Robert Croft, Hannah Wilkinson, Christian Den Besten and George Macaronis.

It also featured more than 85 contributions from the local community.

For more information, head to the City of Greater Geelong website.