About

Guido van Helten is an Australian-born visual artist and photographer. He is an internationally recognised artist creating contemporary street art throughout the world which is underpinned by his exploration of community and identity generated through photography and large-scale mural installations.

 
 
The image of two people in the 43m mural painted by artist Guido van Helten on the site of Southern Cross University
Katie O'Rourke stands in front of the mural depicting two people in the 43m mural painted by artist Guido van Helten on the site of Southern Cross University
Guido van Helten paints a mural of two people on the site of Southern Cross University
Guido van Helten paints a mural of two people on the site of Southern Cross University
 
 

The Project

In 2018, Katie O’Rourke proposed that a large-scale mural be painted on the side of Southern Cross University.

Artist Guido Van Helten was invited to create a mural at the Gold Coast campus of his former university, Southern Cross University, where he studied a Bachelor of Visual Arts from 2006-2008, majoring in Printmaking and Design. These years served as a bridge between his traditional graffiti background and his current approach to art and large-scale mural-making. It was a particular honour for him to return to the university and earn their trust to create this work.

Results

Katie successfully managed this integrated project that combined public art, workshops, community engagement, film, marketing, social media, and PR to achieve a remarkable global reach of over 23 million.

This comprehensive approach garnered significant recognition, earning the project two prestigious awards: Winner of the 2018 Destination Gold Coast Best Overall Content Package and Winner of the 2018 Destination Gold Coast Star.