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Hosier Lane is a
Hosier Lane opened as a Street Art Gallery in 1998 by the City Lights Initiative. The lane is located opposite the entrance to the 
In November 2013, Melbourne's largest urban art paint-up was undertaken in the form of All Your Walls, organised by Invurt, Land of Sunshine and Just Another and held in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victorias MelbourneNow event.
Involving some of the cities finest graffiti crews/collectives and street artists, a major makeover of Hosier and Rutledge Lanes was performed, in order to celebrate the significant role street art and graffiti continues to play in the cultural life of this city.
Over a period of two massive painting sessions during November 2013, both Hosier and Rutledge Lanes were first entirely buffed black and then completely transformed, top to bottom, by over 100 local graffiti and street artists – all of which culminated in an event with live graffiti projections in Hosier Lane in homage to Melbourne graffiti and street art.
In early 2020, six masked people 'Colour Bombed' the lane, erasing many artworks in the process. This was treated as an act of vandalism by the Melbourne Lord Mayor and was investigated by police for vandalism, while many street artists believed that they did nothing wrong and were just adding to the 'free for all' nature of the site.
Hosier Lane is also known for its upmarket cocktail lounges including the popular Misty and MoVida. An open air cooking session with MoVida's chef Frank Camorra on Masterchef Australia season 2 showcased the lane as a major Melbourne attraction.Kalina, Paul
Secrets and fries
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' 20 May 2010
Image:Meggs street art Melbourne.jpg, Stencil art, 2005
Image:Hosier Lane.jpg, Painted doorway, 2009
Image:Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Australia (Unsplash oaMvi6dWhrg).jpg, Street artist at work, 2017
Image:Street art in a Melbourne laneway.jpg, Large murals, 2019
Image:Hosier Lane Melbourne-1.jpg, Hosier Lane in 2020
Image:Hosier Lane Melbourne-2.jpg, Koala mural
Hosier Lane is a laneway
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane) ...
in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Victoria, Australia. Located on the CBD's southern edge, it extends between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane
Flinders Lane is a minor street and thoroughfare in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The laneway runs east–west from Spring Street to Spencer Street in-between Flinders and Collins Streets. Originally laid ou ...
, and opens opposite the Atrium
Atrium may refer to:
Anatomy
* Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart
* Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods
* Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain
* Pulmona ...
at Federation Square
Federation Square (colloquially Fed Square) is a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district. It covers an area of at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets built above busy ra ...
. Since the late 1990s, Hosier Lane has become a popular tourist attraction due to its street art.
History
Street art
Hosier Lane opened as a Street Art Gallery in 1998 by the City Lights Initiative. The lane is located opposite the entrance to the Atrium
Atrium may refer to:
Anatomy
* Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart
* Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods
* Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain
* Pulmona ...
at Federation Square
Federation Square (colloquially Fed Square) is a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district. It covers an area of at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets built above busy ra ...
on Flinders St, placing the lane prominent position in the city.
The lane has been noted for the quality and the often political nature of its art. It features in the state-sponsored book ''The Melbourne Design Guide'' and in Tourism Victoria's ''Lose Yourself in Melbourne'' advertising campaign, leading to questions about the dichotomy of Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
's approach to graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
. The graffiti-covered walls and art-installations have become a popular backdrop for fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...
and wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
photography. In 2013 street artist Adrian Doyle painted the entirety of the adjacent Rutledge Lane one color with the consent of the Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
city council to create a work he called "Empty Nursery Blue".
In November 2013, Melbourne's largest urban art paint-up was undertaken in the form of All Your Walls, organised by Invurt, Land of Sunshine and Just Another and held in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victorias MelbourneNow event.
Involving some of the cities finest graffiti crews/collectives and street artists, a major makeover of Hosier and Rutledge Lanes was performed, in order to celebrate the significant role street art and graffiti continues to play in the cultural life of this city.
Over a period of two massive painting sessions during November 2013, both Hosier and Rutledge Lanes were first entirely buffed black and then completely transformed, top to bottom, by over 100 local graffiti and street artists – all of which culminated in an event with live graffiti projections in Hosier Lane in homage to Melbourne graffiti and street art.
In early 2020, six masked people 'Colour Bombed' the lane, erasing many artworks in the process. This was treated as an act of vandalism by the Melbourne Lord Mayor and was investigated by police for vandalism, while many street artists believed that they did nothing wrong and were just adding to the 'free for all' nature of the site.
Other features
Hosier Lane is also known for its upmarket cocktail lounges including the popular Misty and MoVida. An open air cooking session with MoVida's chef Frank Camorra on Masterchef Australia season 2 showcased the lane as a major Melbourne attraction.Kalina, PaulSecrets and fries
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' 20 May 2010
Gallery
See also
*Lanes and arcades of Melbourne
The Melbourne central business district in Australia is home to numerous lanes and arcades. Often called "laneways", these narrow streets and pedestrian paths date mostly from the Victorian era, and are a popular cultural attraction for their ...
* Street art in Melbourne
References
{{Melbourne CBD Streets Streets in Melbourne City Centre Graffiti in Australia Street art in Australia Culture of Melbourne