Cocoroc’s Western Treatment Plant is set to come alive with an explosion of art and activity this weekend, as part of the Treatment III public art project.
A collaboration between the Public Art Commission, Deakin University, Wyndham council, Melbourne Water, the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund, Scienceworks and Hobsons Bay City Council, Treatment III is the third iteration of the event first held in 2015.
The Night and Day event will be held at the Western Treatment Plant in the lead-up to sunset on Friday, April 21 and in the early hours of Saturday, April 22.
Deakin University School of Communication and Creative Arts academics Professor David Cross and Associate Professor Cameron Bishop are curating the event, which will include nine newly commissioned artworks.
Professor Cross said the works aim to celebrate a day in the life of the plant and the plants and wildlife which call the site home.
“We’re very interested in what a 24-hour cycle looks like at the Western Treatment Plant,” he said.
“What many people don’t realise is the Western Treatment Plant is also one of the state’s most popular spots for birdwatching, with some birds migrating from as far away as Siberia to its wetlands,” he said.
Art projects on show during the event will include live ice sculptures, a bioluminescence show and large-scale video screenings.
Attendees will be taking a minibus tour throughout the old township of Cocoroc to experience the works.
Melbourne Water Western Treatment Plant head Alanna Wright said the plant was an jewel in Melbourne’s infrastructure.
“This project will put an exciting spotlight on the rich history of this special space.”
Details: www.treatment3.org.au/night-and-day
