Galactopoleion - Milk Bar

Group show: Spaces Between Light Festival, Richmond Housing Estate.
Saturday 4 June, 2016, 6-8pm.

Project description

At Richmond Housing Estate, a bricked and whitewashed wall at the base of Building 108 marks the site of the community milk bar that operated here in the 1980’s. Consisting of a bulk of colourful milk crates; a sculptural interpretation of historical relics; and Lime Spiders served to visitors: this installation provides a place for contemplation of another time. It creates a memorial of what once stood at the site; what it represented; and what it can tell us about our cultural identity.

Milk bars are a quintessential part of Australia’s national identity – though now are mostly relegated to it’s history. Galactopoleion - Milk Bar is a celebration of the unique role they played in Australian cultural life: established by Greek migrants they formed the heart of communities; and a welcome hangout for children and teens. From the ‘galactopoleion’ milk store in Greece; to the Australian café-style milk bars of the 1930s that sold American and British goods; and the mixed business milk bar of the 1980’s where you could find Baklava alongside the Redskins, Fags, and Four’n’Twenty pies: the humble milk bars evolution reflects a cultural shift in attitudes towards migration.

Presented by

Richmond Housing Estate
RMIT University