Curated by John Barbour and Anton Hart
Over forty-six local, national and international artists were invited by John Barbour and Anion Hart to exhibit work in the empty shopfronts in the shopping arcade that leads to the Greater Union cinema megaplex in Hindley Street, in Adelaide's 'seedy' west end. Down town Hindley Street (close to the University of South Australia's new arts/humanities campus, the Lion Arts Centre, and Adelaide TAFE) is currently undergoing an arts renaissance of sorts. The Adelaide City Council and the State Government are intent on promoting the area as an 'arts precinct'. They have planted palm trees and installed funky benches, have relocated the Adelaide Festival offices into an old building in the middle of the strip, and are encouraging other arts organisations to follow suit. But the street is still replete with all-night bars, 'adult' shops, and video arcades. Although,the Council has managed to change the street motorbike parking areas to Loading Zones.
In many ways, the Underbelly project was a focal point in an on-going history of the use of Hindley Street as a venue for
shop-front art. The Hindsite project has presented installation work over the last couple of years, and the City Council 's
Shop Art continually presents works by local artists and craftspeople, displays which are theme-based during festivals such as the FEAST Gay & Lesbian Cultural Festival, and the 'Come Out' youth arts festival.
The Cosmopolitan Centre is a wide double-storey plaza. At the time of the project the facades around the metal tubing and floor-to-ceiling glass were painted classic post-modern pink. Barbour and Hart invited artists to show work, which was placed by the curators in subtle, and happy conjunctions. On the opening afternoon the shops