Quirindi Silo Art – Permanent Projection

Quirindi Silo Art is a permanent projection artwork created by illuminart Stories in Light, transforming the town’s iconic grain silos into a large-scale, evolving cultural asset.

The project brings together mural art, projection mapping, and custom-built permanent projection infrastructure to create a night-time experience that complements the existing daytime artwork while extending the silos’ presence after dark.

illuminart designed and delivered the permanent projection system, creative framework, and technical integration that underpin the work, ensuring the installation could operate reliably as a long-term public artwork.

The Artwork

During the day, the silos feature large-scale mural artworks by artist Peter Ryan, with contributions by Kate Rutter, reflecting the agricultural and cultural identity of Quirindi and its surrounds.

At night, the murals are transformed through carefully mapped digital animation and light, adding movement, atmosphere, and narrative while respecting the form and character of the silos.

illuminart guided the curatorial and artist selection process, including recommending Peter Ryan as a preferred artist for the site based on his approach, scale, and suitability for integration with permanent projection.

During the mural development phase, illuminart worked closely with the artist to support projection-aligned drawing and composition, carrying out on-site alignment and projection tests to ensure the painted forms would later translate effectively into night-time animation.

This integrated approach allowed the painted artwork and projected content to be conceived as a single, unified work rather than separate daytime and night-time treatments.

The projection content was developed to work sympathetically with the painted artwork rather than overwhelm it, allowing the site to shift gently between day and night identities.

Permanent Projection System

The installation is built around illuminart’s permanent projection system design, developed specifically for regional and remote contexts.

The system includes:

• Custom hardware configuration designed for long-term outdoor operation
• Automated scheduling and monitoring
• Purpose-built content pipelines for future updates
• Infrastructure designed to minimise ongoing intervention

This approach allows the artwork to operate autonomously while providing a foundation for locally driven content evolution over time.

Beyond system delivery, illuminart’s role extended into creative and technical integration, including real-time projection alignment during mural development. This process ensured that architectural features, painted forms, and digital content would align precisely once the permanent system was commissioned.

This level of integration is rare in permanent public art projects and was critical to achieving the seamless transition between painted and projected states.

Collaboration and Cultural Context

The project involved collaboration with local artists, cultural custodians, and stakeholders, including cultural consultation with Jason Allan, ensuring the work was grounded in place and community context.

illuminart’s role focused on integrating artistic, technical, and cultural elements into a cohesive permanent installation that could be sustained beyond the initial launch period.

Recognition

Quirindi Silo Art has been recognised nationally, including awards from the Australian Street Art Awards, acknowledging both the artistic ambition of the murals and the innovative use of permanent projection as a form of public art.

• 2023 Best Mega Mural: Quirindi Silo Art Light and Sound Show, Liverpool Plains NSW (Artists: Peter Ryan, Kate Rutter, illuminart)
• 2023 Best Street Art experience in NSW – Quirindi Silo Art and Light And Sound Show
• 2023 Best of the Best – handed to the Gold Winner that impressed the judges the most, as determined by the highest cumulative score from all category winners.

Legacy

Quirindi Silo Art now operates as a permanent, automated night-time artwork and forms part of Quirindi’s evolving cultural landscape.

The installation was established as a long-term asset, designed to support future locally initiated content while retaining the integrity of the original system design and artistic intent.

"So much more than just shining a projector onto a Silo!" ~ Community member