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Open-air love letter to Melbourne

Open-air love letter to Melbourne

The curators of the ‘Uptown’ exhibition have used the streetscape of a seminal haunt for their celebration of the city post lockdown.

Fiona Scanlan and Robert Buckingham, curators of the Uptown festival Eamon Gallagher

Walking through Melbourne during lockdown, Robert Buckingham and Fiona Scanlan had a flashback to the dark days before lively laneways, vibrant wine bars and edgy eateries were a signature of one of the world’s “most liveable” cities.

“It was confronting to see the CBD completely empty,” says Scanlan, co-founder of one of Australia’s landmark fashion brands, Scanlan & Theodore. “The city had ground to a halt, the streets were dormant, there were so many vacant shopfronts and empty restaurants. It was desolate.”

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Stephen Todd
Stephen ToddDesign editorStephen Todd writes for The Australian Financial Review's weekly Life&Leisure lift out and AFR Magazine. Email Stephen at stephen.todd@afr.com

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/design/open-air-love-letter-to-melbourne-20210121-p56vx8