Transit exhibition at Span Galleries

• November 2006 
• Span Galleries 
• 45 Flinders Lane
• Melbourne, Victoria
• Australia

Inspired by the stories of Melbourne's taxi entrepreneurs from Hadchit, North Lebanon, Transit is a three year research and art project.

Recording the rich oral histories of Melbourne’s taxi entrepreneurs from Hadchit, North Lebanon, and in some cases their families, was an integral part of the process. 

The Transit body of work, by artist Christine Eid, explores and questions notions of identity, acceptance and popular preconceptions of taxi drivers and Australia's migrants. 

Are we there yet? (2006), an intricately hand-woven beaded sculpture takes the form of a seatcover. The work explores perceived identity and questions, at what point is one accepted as Australian?

At first glance one is struck by the uniformity of the series of taxi domelights in the work Your Place (2006), however the names in Arabic and English reference the individuality of the drivers and their multiple identities.  

The installation Defined by what we dangle? (2006), consisting of a set of two rear-vision mirrors adorned with ornaments, looks at projected identity through familiar codes of acceptance.

While the short digital film entitled Transit (2006) consists of a series of stories that provide snapshots into a father-daughter relationship and the taxi profession.

Photographer: Andrew Lloyd