Gillian Kayrooz: Walking Through Granville for Eleven Minutes

Hey, how are yous? I want you to wander with no intention and in good company, or to give it to you straight - take a walk with a mate.

This video work featured artist Gillian Kayrooz walking through the streets of Granville in Western Sydney. The work was part of the series Commonground, originally developed as part of Artspace's 52 Actions series and includes similar walks through the suburbs of Parramatta, Merrylands and Guildford. The artist grew up near these four suburbs, treading these footpaths for school, work, or to visit family and friends. The ‘tiny planet’ video was created using a 360 degree camera, and through the simple act of walking, captures an eleven-minute journey through the streets, laneways, arcades, carparks and shopping malls of Granville. While playful in its delivery, this video documentation can also be considered a critical commentary on the rapid construction and gentrification of Western Sydney.

About the Artist

Gillian Kayrooz is an artist based in Sydney; on unceded Gadigal and Dharug land, whose practice reflects her personal experience and ongoing engagement with local communities. Kayrooz’s work is collaborative; she invites members of the community to contribute authentic impressions, in a bottom-up rather than top-down conception of history and place. In 2018 she was awarded the Create NSW Young Creative Leaders Fellowship which led her to exhibit internationally in the Asia-Pacific region and complete residencies in both China and Japan. Her installation, video and photographic work has been shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions across Australia, including spaces such as Firstdraft, UTP, The Powerhouse Museum, Casula Powerhouse and Artspace. She was appointed Co-Director of Firstdraft from 2021-2023 and most recently concluded a summer solo exhibition at the Murray Art Museum in Albury titled 'Five Ways to Say I'm Home'. Kayrooz is currently participating in 'Counterflows', a program commissioned by Artshouse (Melbourne) and UTP (Sydney), that enabled her to undertake research and participate in the March Meeting program as part of the 2023 Sharjah Biennale in the UAE.