The UNSEEN Arts Hub was conceived and created by Belinda Mason, internationally acclaimed social documentarian and Creative Director of Blur Projects and was delivered through a partnership between Blur Projects and Women’s Electoral Lobby Australia with the financial support of City of Sydney and in-kind and financial support of many community groups, arts organisations, service providers, government and corporates. The hub is a unique outdoor mobile art installation centred around a chrome-finished Tiny House, Car and Couch whose unusual mirrored surfaces arouse curiosity and reflect the invisibility of women’s hidden homelessness in public consciousness, raising awareness of this urgent and growing problem. From the Hub’s visually engaging space women artists with lived-experience of homelessness display and perform their art and so provide us a rare opportunity to see and hear their diverse visions and voices up close and personal. The UNSEEN Arts Hub has been displayed in various locations around Sydney throughout 2021 and during 2022 will tour regional NSW. Additionally, the UNSEEN Project’scollection of artworks created by the women in the project are available for exhibition in traditional indoor gallery spaces. In this case, the Chrome Car and/or Chrome Tiny House can be used to support gallery exhibitions or associated events.

Scroll down to see all the elements of the UNSEEN Arts Hub. For dates times and locations of upcoming events,  go to our ‘Whats On, Where and When’ page.

UNSEEN Chrome Tiny House

The striking chrome-finish Tiny House on its trailer is the centrepiece of the UNSEEN Arts Hub. Set in one wall is a large glass window in which artworks can be exhibited. The other side is designed to represent a traditional house. A projection screen can be mounted on one end for evening viewing of slideshows, short films, etc. while at the rear is a small balcony in traditional verandah style which can accomodate small displays or performances.

UNSEEN Chrome Car

The Chrome-covered car represents the temporary shelter many homeless women and their children have to resort to. Images of women who have experienced homelessness appear in the windows. On the ground surrounding the car are women’s messages telling of their lived experience of homelessness.

UNSEEN Chrome Couch

The Chrome-finish Couch set up with carpet, coffee-table and lamp represents the couch-surfing homeless women must often do. Equipped with sound the UNSEEN Couch can be the setting for a variety of spoken or recorded activities including podcasts.

UNSEEN ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ Art Installation

‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’ by UNSEEN artist Fiona consists of many pairs of shoes laid out on the ground, each accompanied by a large tag sharing the story of their owners who come from a wide spectrum of society, many of whom have lived experiences of homelessness, adversity and/or service to community. The installation can be displayed in a number of configurations and sizes according to available spaces; as well as an on-ground installation it can also be displayed in cabinets or suspended.

UNSEEN Performance Space

The performance space is variable in size and makes use of available suitable spaces. Equipped with speaker and mics it can be used for a wide range of spoken word, song and performance including personal story, yarning circles, poetry slams, theatre and community choirs.

UNSEEN Arts Marquees

The UNSEEN Arts Hub can include up to 4 marquees: The Information marquee has information on the UNSEEN project, the artists and their works, service providers and resources, and on the issues of women’s homelessness and its causes such as domestic violence. The Arts marquee features travelling UNSEEN artists and their works while the Local Artist marquee features an artist and their artwork from each venue visited. At the Workshop marquee visitors can interact with the artists and get some hands-on learning and practice making art.

Sample UNSEEN Arts Hub Layout

Because the UNSEEN Arts Hub consists of a number of modular elements it can be readily configured to fit a wide range of sites, venues, and events. Additionally, the UNSEEN Project’scollection of artworks created by the women in the project are available for exhibition in traditional indoor gallery spaces. In this case, the Chrome Car and/or Chrome Tiny House can be used to support gallery exhibitions or associated events.