A Forgotten Past – Time by Rone

Internationally renowned artist Rone unveils his new installation ‘Time’ inside the upper levels of Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station. Following previous exhibits ‘Empire’ and ‘Rone in Geelong’, ‘Time’ is an expansive project centred on a forgotten era of Melbourne’s history.

Capturing the timeless characteristics of the 112-year-old Flinders Street Station, ‘Time’ is a follow up to Tyrone “Rone” Wright’s 2019 exhibition ‘Empire’. Showing from 28 October 2022 to April 2023, ‘Time’ explores a post-WWII working class Melbourne throughout 11 themed rooms. Installed in the upper levels of Flinders Street Station, Rone and long-time collaborators – Set Decorator Carly Spooner, Sound Designer Nick Batterham and Set Build Director Callum Preston – bring the immersive and multisensory exhibit to life, designed to live on through time.

Capturing the spirit of Flinders Street Station, ‘Time’ offers glimpses of how the illustrious station was once a place of work, learning and socialising in mid-1900s Melbourne.

Capturing the spirit of Flinders Street Station, ‘Time’ offers glimpses of how the illustrious station was once a place of work, learning and socialising in mid-1900s Melbourne. “It has taken more than three years to bring this project to life and when I began the process back in 2019, no one had really been up there for 40 years,” Rone explains. Over the three years, Rone and his team planned and created the exhibition using computer-aided design and drafting software that pre-visualised how visitors would experience the exhibit. The site-specific show weaves through 11 rooms adorned with original and recreated period objects, lighting and sound design. “’Time’ is an open-ended narrative – there’s no right or wrong way to experience the space,” says Rone, “just trails that I hope people will pick up. People make their own story, and every person will experience it differently.”

Being inside the upper floors of the historical station allows visitors a rare opportunity to engage with the architecture of the building. As a sensory experience, the exhibition “is the culmination of 21 years of working as an artist,” expresses Rone. “The Flinders Street ballroom has been my white whale. The work won’t last – it has been designed with a limited lifespan in mind – but I hope the stories will live on.”

The site-specific show weaves through 11 rooms adorned with original and recreated period objects, lighting and sound design.

Taking place in Flinders Street Station, Melbourne-based and internationally renowned artist Rone explores Melbourne’s history throughout his new exhibition. Showing for a limited time, ‘Time’ celebrates a forgotten part of the city’s history through 11 atmospheric-themed rooms, capturing a moment in time to ensure the era’s memory lives on.