Exploring Sculpture at Barangaroo

Exploring Sculpture at Barangaroo

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Posted 2016-08-13 by Postcards from Shaynefollow

Sat 06 Aug 2016 - Mon 22 Aug 2016

Barangaroo Reserve on Sydney Harbour is the perfect location for Sydney's newest open air art exhibition, simply called Sculpture at Barangaroo. You won't want to miss seeing the eight new works commissioned for this event or the six existing works including some of our old favourites. So clear your schedule and make some time as Sculpture at Barangaroo is on now, from 6th - 21st August 2016.



This free, family-friendly, outdoor art exhibition showcases the work of 15 Australian artists along a sculpture trail on the beautiful harbour foreshore of Barangaroo Reserve. The trail runs along the Wulugul Walk to Nawi Cove and on the Stargazer and Walumil Lawns. It features 14 stunning and unique artworks, chosen to highlight the textures of the Barangaroo environment as well as the significance of the Aboriginal history and culture of this location.

Here's a sneak peek of what you can see:



1. Empirical View (2016) by Marcus Tatton is an unique work that greets you at Nawi Cove if you begin your walk from the Hickson Road entrance to the reserve. Use your imagination and your senses to explore this sculpture which consists of four parts : a large window, a seven metre high chimney, stove and campsite which are all made from firewood. You can experience the natural coastline of Barangaroo from one side of the window and the contrasting cityscape of today from the other side.



2. Located just outside the cutaway is the artwork Standing On Stones (2016) by Sangeeta Sandrasegar. The artwork uses plastic pearls to inscribe a poem on the ground and visitors are actually permitted to walk across it for a tactile experience. This sculpture is a dedication to Cammeraygal woman Barangaroo and explores the overlap of cultural structures at this site.



3. Harlequin Shuttle (2014) by Ken Unsworth hangs amongst the garden foliage, it's brightly coloured Plexiglas panels shimmering with the changing light. Make of it what you will and to find out more about this intriguing piece you can attend an artist talk on Sunday 14 August at 11am.

4. At Contours of Our Heart (2016), Sydney ceramics artist Yasmin Smith grinds down local sandstone to use as clay and then invites small groups of visitors to make their own sculptural pieces. Each object will then be fired in a kiln on site. On the last day of the exhibition, Yasmin will combine all the pieces in one installation. And as the sun sets, visitors will be invited to take a piece away with them. Unfortunately Yasmin was not on site on the day I visited, but she will be giving an artist talk at 3pm on Sunday 21 August.



5. The Grove (2014) by Margarita Sampson features two beautiful pear-shaped pods constructed from wood and clad in red cedar. The pods lean towards each other with the branches extending from their tops almost connecting. They also feature small round openings which are internally lined with felt. The rough texture of the external surface contrasts with the soft interior lining. Each individual will have their own interpretation of this sculpture but for me it reflects the beauty and perfection of nature and brings a sense of peace to the setting.



6. Further along the Wulugul Walk, you will find Barangarro Dreaming (2016) by Garaywaa Murnawaraga (The Milky Way Daughters, with contributors). Inspired by Cammeraygal woman and elder Barangaroo, who is said to have rejected a gift of a European clothes as she preferred to live according to Aboriginal traditions, the artists have created a two metre high crinoline (hooped petticoat) which they will transform into a fish trap. There will be eight layers in this artwork, representing eight generations since Barangaroo, including shell art, woven lace, reed weavings, possum skins and feathers covered in white ochre. Workshops will be held by the artists to teach the different skills used to construct the crinoline. You can attend an artist talk on Sunday 21st August at 12 noon. There is also a Visitor Services talk at 1.00pm every Thursday and Friday and at 11.00am and 2.00pm every Saturday and Sunday.



7. Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healey's Banana Republic ( 2016) takes the form of a brightly coloured shipping container. The container contains two doors and one large window from which you can look out towards the harbour. The inside of the container is clad with plywood and contains a pile of coal, a viewing bench where you can sit and a toasty wood fireplace. This artwork is a reflection of the history of the site which in the past was used to stockpile coal and for shipping container storage.



8. Positioned perfectly on the harbour foreshore with the Sydney Harbour Bridge as its backdrop is Horizon (2013) by Lucy Humphrey. You may remember this work from Sculpture by the Sea in 2013 where is was a crowd favourite. This artwork is in the form of an acrylic sphere which has been filled with around 1800 litres of water. Due to the refraction of light the image within the sphere is inverted, turning the world upside down. In this setting you can view Horizon from all sides and it has not lost its appeal as people wait to have their photo taken with and within the sphere. You can learn more about this artwork at the artist talk on Saturday 13 August at 11.30am.



9. One Journey Ends: another begins...?, (2016) is a piece by Sally Kidall in the form of a bamboo boat with two large oars. The boat is covered with a fabric tent and holds growing grass and plastic bags filled with water. This piece is described as a mobile commemorative monument reflecting the evolving history of the site as an important hunting location for Aboriginal people, a dock used by early settlers, and later a larger commercial shipping container port.



10. Bugiya Naway Buradja (Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow), (2016) is by Deidre Martin . It depicts a Nawi, the word for canoe in the local language, which has been woven using traditional techniques and contemporary materials. The surrounding scene of wood carvings and shells expresses a story of local women's survival, fishing, ecology and cultural practices. There is also a free talk about this work by Visitor Services guides at 1.00pm every Thursday and Friday, 11.00am and 2.00pm every Saturday and Sunday.

As you continue up the Walumil Lawns you will come to three large metal works by Ron Robertson-Swann which were created over a period of 40 years. These pieces were chosen to respond to the scale of the site and in respect for the artists attachment to the Harbour.



11. Weighty Matters (2013) by Ron Robertson-Swann OAM



12. Tony's Tower II (2014) by Ron Robertson-Swann OAM



13. Campagna (1972) by Ron Robertson-Swann OAM



14. Construction Barangaroo (2016) is an enormous installation at the top of the Stargazer Lawn. It is a walk through framework made of various lengths of SPF timber by artist Marley Dawson. There are multiple entrances and exits, tunnels and windows. Visitors are invited to enjoy the different "framed" views of the park, harbour and city. Young children will love this one, running in and out and through the middle.



The exhibition is free and is open to the public between 8am and 6pm daily during the 16 day period. Visitors are invited to enjoy and explore the sculpture trail and the park at their own pace. A map and explanation of the sculptures can be obtained from either The Cutaway, from an information booth onsite or online here.

On the final day of the exhibition, Sunday 21st August, you're invited to help celebrate Barangaroo Reserve's 1st birthday. The highlights of the milestone event will include free family-friendly entertainment, a pop-up nature playground, kids games and free wattleseed birthday cake from Dreamtime Tuka (available on a first come, first served basis).

When visiting Barangaroo Reserve public transport is recommended and the closest train stations are Circular Quay and Wynyard. It takes around 15 - 20 minutes to walk from either of these stations.

It is a stunning location, with the harbour glistening around you, in which to enjoy some unique and intriguing works of art. But don't take my word for it, get out there and see it for yourself.

#aboriginal
#art
#barangaroo
#family
#free
#outdoor
#city
#walks
#august
!date 06/08/2016 -- 22/08/2016
%wnsydney
170912 - 2023-06-15 07:54:46

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