Mural Masterpieces - Sisters of Compassion.

Location:
132 Tory Street, Wellington.

Team:
Luke Savage, Chris Barrand, Michael Apathy and Marcel Baaijens, Project Co-ordinator.

Accessible to public:
Yes.

Mural theme:
104 year relationship between the Sisters of Compassion and the people of Wellington.

Background to mural creation:
The Art Compass team designed this mural to create a landmark, distinguish the building and express what goes on inside the centre, the nature of the work of the Sisters of Compassion and their relationship with the city.

Art Compass is a charitable trust providing studio gallery space for adults with intellectual disabilities where they can explore the potential of art making as a vocational choice, alternative form of communication and tool for integration and self-advocacy.

Art Compass is located in the Compassion Centre. The Sisters of Compassion, who operate the Compassion Centre, are currently their major sponsors. When the Sisters mentioned the idea of painting a mural on the Centre, Art Compass offered to facilitate this project as a way to express their gratitude for the Sisters of Compassion's support.

Although the staff at Art Compass facilitated the design process and are the actual people applying the mural to the building, the mural is definitely a community effort. Members of the public were invited to contribute the images for the mural design during an open week in September - more than 800 images were submitted. Young and old, rich and poor, famous and infamous people contributed line drawings.

The first section of the mural, the South Wall, has been completed. This section consists of three components - a large billboard, a painted 'Tree of Compassion' and a collage of images relating to the Soup Kitchen.

The billboard depicts an image of Suzanne Aubert who founded the Sisters of Compassion, the hills of Wellington and the website of the Compassion Centre. The silhouettes of the five sisters who continue Suzanne Aubert's work at the Compassion centre shape Suzanne Aubert's image. The Wellington hills are shaped by two images: houses placed in rows forming streets and images of sisters pushing the historical begging pram through the streets. The background consists of multiple logos of the Compassion centre.

The 'Tree of Compassion' symbolises growth and extends beyond the elevation indicating that the work of the sisters also takes place outside the centre. The tree is also a reference to the Bohdi tree, under which Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment and indicates that compassion is part of many religions. The new growth of the tree is shaped in the form of korus, signifying the historic relationship between the Tangata Whenua and the sisters. The korus also connect the mural to the Maori carving over the entrance to the soup kitchen. The people of Wellington have donated the image of the tree and other images.

The mural will eventually wrap around the building. A continuation of the collage of images as started on the south wall will make up the remainder of this 360 square metre mural. Collectively these images will depict what goes on inside the centre, the nature of the work of the Sisters of Compassion and their relationship with the city of Wellington.

The images will be arranged in a grid in different categories that will highlight the architectural grid of the facades. Vertically one will be able to 'read' personal stories about the work at the Compassion Centre and see images of the sisters at work in the window zone and of course through the windows. Horizontally one can see at two levels images of faith and love, two key aspects of compassion. Three other levels cross with personal stories and categorise the beginning, middle and end of the personal stories. The lower level relates to life in the city, where each individual's story begins. Where this level crosses with the vertical category of sisters at work one can see repeatedly an image of a sister pushing the famous begging pram through the city. All prams point to the front door of the centre. The middle level depicts the effect of interactions between sisters and individuals. The upper level depicts the outcomes of these interactions. As a collective the horizontal and vertical levels weave all categories together and sum up the relationship between the city and the sisters.

Many hundreds of images are still to be painted.