In a bold public art project, artist Siv B Fjærestad is working with public art producers Letting Space and in partnership with Wellington City Council to create an enormous artwork on the fields of Macalister and Liardet Street Parks, Berhampore: a dynamic colourful backdrop for people to play on.

This is a painting for the public to both look at and play on, encouraging leadership from the community in valuing the park as a public commons. Macalister and Liardet Street Parks were selected, Fjærestad and Letting Space say, because they contain many diverse areas and different pockets of activity, and also sit between a number of suburbs and different communities.

This unusual painting has been inspired by field markings, the stories and activities of the many communities who use the parks, and their dreams for its future. Over the last eighteen months Fjærestad and volunteers surveyed the local community and park users to inform the painting’s design and how it might be activated.

“The painting design contains representations of statistical data and ideas for the park collected from the community, visual references to current activity and also to the landscape and its history,” says Fjærestad. “I’m also exploring the visual language of field markings and signage seen on sports and recreational grounds.”