Brunswick Begins Construction On Big Dexie After Mildura Unveils Big Sultana

PETE CLARK | Melbourne | CONTACT

The beloved Victorian border town of Mildura has unveiled Australia’s newest big thing, a giant sultana. 

Not to be out done, the inner North Suburb of Brunswick has begun work on the ‘Big Dexie’.

Speaking with The Advocate artist Brett Kellison told us a little bit more about the sculpture and its significance. 

“I’ve been really fortunate to collaborate with the Merri-bek City Council and the Victorian College of Arts to work on this piece”

“Just like the big sultana pays tribute to the Milduras dried fruit heritage, I wanted  to create something that pays homage to the history rich of Brunswick”

“I myself am a recreational and medicinal user of dexamfetamines and it’s something that’s really close to my heart,” he said.

Once construction of the ‘Big Dexie’ is completed it will be transported from VCA to a small park on Wilson Street behind the bouldering wall, in the heart of Brunswick. 

The sculpture will have very similar dimensions to the big sultana, it will stand at roughly 5 meters tall and be 525 times the size of an average dexamphetamine. 

Unlike the Big Sultana, Mr Kellison hopes the Big Dexie isn’t a tourist gimmick.

“I hope it doesn’t attract people to come see it”

“I’d actually prefer they tore up the nearby parking and built an expanded cycling lane”

“This sculpture is for the people of Brunswick, to honour the fact that we are home to the most ADHD diagnoses in the state”

“That’s something we’re quite proud of”

Although Mr Kellison did not want the sculpture to become a tourist hotspot he did hope the community would embrace his work.

“People should climb it and vandalise it, that’s all part of the art”

“I hope people have kick ons in the park where the sculpture is erected”

“No one ever had kick ons at the Big Banana," he said. 

More to come.