On Wednesday 21 September, ISPT’s Karingal Hub, at the gateway to the Mornington Peninsula, celebrated its connection to the local community and environment with the unveiling of a hallmark public art piece, Sound Shell.

The unveiling of Sound Shell included a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony before the official ribbon-cutting moment.

The immersive art sculpture was commissioned by Karingal Hub and ISPT in partnership with the internationally renowned Peninsula-based McClelland and has been installed in Karingal Hub’s new Town Square.

Australian artist and Mornington Peninsula resident, Christabel Wigley, was awarded the public artwork commission after impressing McClelland, Karingal Hub and ISPT representatives with her Sound Shell concept.

Richard Devlin, Centre Manager of Karingal Hub Shopping Centre, said: “Christabel Wigley’s Sound Shell is the perfect centrepiece for our Town Square precinct and the first piece of commissioned art as part of Karingal Hub’s Art Trail, transforming Karingal Hub into a lifestyle destination as much as a leading shopping centre in Victoria’s south-east. The Sound Shell and Karingal Hub’s Art Trail project further connect the centre to the broader Peninsula community in an engaging, meaningful and artistic way. With pieces reflecting the local landscape, flora and fauna.”

Sound Shell takes the form of a Turbo or Turban shell, which is commonly found on the Mornington Peninsula and culturally significant to the Bunurong people of the Karingal area. Fabricated in aluminium on a magnified scale, the sculpture stands 2.5m tall and incorporates a unique soundscape emanating from within the shell with audio of local Bunurong language spoken by Uncle Mik Edwards and N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM, and sounds of a wedge-tailed eagle recorded by Vicki Powys, representing the origins of the land.

Australian artist and Mornington Peninsula resident, Christabel Wigley,

Artist, Christabel Wigley, said: “Sound Shell has been inspired by the beauty and evocative nature of a seashell. The pattern has been hand-crafted and carved from a giant block of polystyrene, with plaster sculpting ridges and nodes applied to produce the Turbo shell. I hope the final result will spark discovery and interaction, probing memories of place and connection to nature.”

Director of McClelland, Lisa Byrne, said the sculptural commissioning was a significant step for the local community on many levels.

“This represents a collaboration between business, a major cultural institution and an important artist to achieve a public artwork that will really resonate with visitors to the new Town Square. Importantly, the work combines two themes which are central to McClelland’s mission – promoting the benefits of spatial practice and environmental integration while privileging and consulting First Nation’s knowledge,” Byrne said.

Karingal Hub’s Town Square has been designed as a place to gather, dine, connect and play while inspiring and encouraging creative expression.

Sound Shell is located in close proximity to the Town Square’s new playground. Complete with vertical towers, large vertical mazes and a super slide along with games, pathways, lookouts and descents, the interactive experience caters for varied accessibility and diverse play, designed for exploration, challenge, adventure and fun. The Town Square will also become a space for the centre’s school holidays program, where free sea shell activities and craft will be available for local families to enjoy, in celebration of the arrival of Karingal Hub’s Sound Shell.

Christabel Wigley and Major Cr Nathan Conroy of Frankston City Council