Australian Design Centre is delighted to announce the results of a fantastic partnership with the City of Sydney’s Art & About Sydney program for a new public artwork located at the rear of the Centre in Barnett Lane, Darlinghurst.
Gadigal Mural, designed by Sydney artist Jason Wing, with ADC’s First Nations Creative Producers Dennis Golding and Lucy Simpson, is a collaborative artwork referencing both the topographical patterning and material culture of Gadigal country.
Reaching over 25 metres long and 17 meters high, the mural features curved and circular lines referencing the geographical formations of Sydney lands and waters as well as the paths formed by Gadigal people before European Settlement.
The outlines of objects, materials and figures are applied between the patterns filled with vibrant ochre tones of red and yellows, which reference the histories, cultural practices and making of Gadigal people.
The mural was initiated by ADC in response to the historical importance of this site as a place of making that directly aligns with ADC's purpose as a centre for contemporary craft and design.
The word ‘bangawarra’ incorporated into the mural means ‘make’ or ‘do’ in Gadigal language.
The mural adds to the cultural and visual landscape of the city, illustrating the rich, unbroken connections of land and contemporary practices of making and design.
“This has been an extraordinary opportunity for us to produce an artwork that acknowledges the making culture of the traditional owners of the land, the Gadigal People, and brings that spirit and history together with ADC’s purpose as a contemporary place of making”, said Lisa Cahill, ADC CEO and Artistic Director.
“Aboriginal murals are the most affordable, effective and accessible place making solutions to combat the extreme lack visual Aboriginal presence in Australia. I commend the City of Sydney Council and the Australian Design Centre for their visionary dual place making and genuine support for increasing a visual Aboriginal presence in NSW.” said Jason Wing, Artist.
A big thanks go to the artists, Jason Wing, Dennis Golding and Lucy Simpson for their imagination and willingness to engage with a work of this scale; The City of Sydney for supporting major public artworks through the Art & About Sydney program and collaborating with us on the project every step of the way; Cracknell & Lonergan Architects for their immense support for the execution of the mural and their team of highly skilled painters Tom Furneaux (Lead Painter) with Christopher de la Motte and Nicolette Aureli. We also thank the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council for their support for the project and the Australian Museum for helping us with research.
A full program of events and activities related to the mural will be announced shortly.
Explore the Gadigal Mural webpage here
Australian Design Centre is proud to be a creative place located on Gadigal Land. We acknowledge with respect the traditional owners the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.
This project was curated by ADC’s First Nations Creative Producers Lucy Simpson and Dennis Golding. The First Nations Creative Producer role is supported by Create NSW.
Images: above: Jason Wing, Dennis Golding and Lucy Simpson, Gadigal Mural, 2019 (detail). Photo: ADC
Below: Dennis Golding and Jason Wing with Gadigal Mural 2019_Photo Jodie Barker
