Fairfield Industrial Dog Object (FIDO) is a huge hardwood canine in the inner northern Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 suburb of Fairfield

Fairfield, Victoria

Fairfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Darebin and Yarra...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It was part of the Darebin City Council

City of Darebin

The City of Darebin is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of , and as of 2009, has a population of 139,608...

's Public Art Program, and is located beside the Fairfield railway station

Fairfield railway station, Melbourne

Fairfield is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Fairfield, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Fairfield is classed as a Host Station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...

.

History

Erected in April 2000, it was created by artists Ian Sinclair, Jackie Staude, David Davies and Alistair Knox. The public artwork, which is 5.5 metres tall and 8 metres long, is made from recycled Australian hardwood

Hardwood

Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...

 and is said to represent the precinct's dog-loving community. It has built-in sensors that are meant to make it talk to passers-by, wag its tail, wiggle its ears and light up at night.

Artists Ian Sinclair, Jacki Staude, David Davies and Alistair Knox wrote the following when describing FIDO (from CREATING PLACE: Public Art Policy and Practice in Darebin

City of Darebin

The City of Darebin is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of , and as of 2009, has a population of 139,608...

):

'FIDO responds to the friendly, busy Fairfield Village: conceptually, practically and literally. The usage of materials, the form and the interactive nature of the work are all designed to enhance the sense of community and enjoyment of a unique place. Our Fairfield Industrial Dog Object will be a unifying force, the “pet” that belongs to the community and yet responds to and is remembered by visitors. FIDO watches over the shopping strip, is recognisable from a distance and captivating up close. Through the use of sensors and digital control it is able to be activated in fascinating and unpredictable ways. The selected site at the corner of Wingrove Avenue and Station Streets has enabled us to design a work of monumental scale which will have a strong presence, provide a unifying focus and become a landmark identified with Fairfield.'