Review Hidden 2017: Rookwood Sculptural Wal
Installation view, One Thousand Cranes Wishes by Luke Nguyen,
Winner of Rookwood Cemetery $10,000 Sculpture Award.
Photo and Postproduction: Pearl de Waal
“Temporary works can be site-specific
and memorials can exist as interventions;
the practice of public art weaves in and around itself,
existing in layers”
(Cartiere, 2008, p9)
The 9th annual sculpture exhibition at Rookwood Cemetery, curated by Cassandra Hard Lawrie, brings together 42 works in relation to this historically significant place, which also marks its 150th anniversary.
Rookwood Cemetery is the largest Victorian cemetery in the world with 286 hectares used for burial graves and gardens (Rookwood Cemetery, 2017, About page).
The exhibition provokes viewers to reflect on past, present and future, celebrating key moments and figures in Australia’s history:
“The exhibition invites artists to ponder the notion of history, culture, remembrance and love and allows audiences to witness creative expression hidden throughout Australia's largest and most historic cemetery” (HIDDEN - A Rookwood Sculpture Walk, 2017).
A map, a visitor's guide and a bottle of water were given upon arrival at the RGCRT Office. The interpretative strategies placed around this cemetery indicated the way from Anglican Non-Denomination Heritage site to the Anglican Naval Heritage Non-denomination were readily apparent, directing visitors clearly the way. Text accompanying artworks are available in the HIDDEN catalogue and includes artists statements that reveal the thread that connects these representing artists. The catalogue was accessible upon a golden coin donation.
Map of HIDDEN 2017: ROOKWOOD SCULPTURAL WALK. Digitisation and Post Production by Pearl de Waal.
The notion of Art outside of museums and galleries, and of public interest, whilst occurring in the public domain, has been widely pursued in the last decade. Ranging from projections to sculptures, art is now exhibited in the most unexpected public spaces. A lack of engagement with communities in museum practices influenced an immense debate in 1960s, accusing public museums, of not serving the public, which influenced the official recognition of Public Art as an artistic practice (Cartiere, 2008; Prior, 2005).
Though, the exhibition’s curatorial vision of ‘hiding’ artworks challenges the working definition of public art. After all, public art is “freely accessible or visible to the public” (Cartiere & Zebracki, 2015, p2). Yet, visitors noticeably pass without acknowledging the canoe, Like a River Runs Surely to the Sea by Leesa Knights and seem unaware of its peculiar position in the trees. More noticeably, from the eye of the viewer at this position and distance, was the installation diagonally of the canoe, 150 drops, (for Eva Hesse) by Rox de Luca.
Installation view, River Runs Surely to the Sea, by Leesa Knights. Photo and post-production: Pearl de Waal
A numbering label system was used throughout the art walk. Black numbers against red panels are staked down in the soil near the artworks. This works quite well within the grassy sections, however, less against warm brown coloured tree trunks, soil and leaves. Presumably this may be the reason for visitors to pass the canoe. Likewise, the canoe is closely situated to its neighbour, Forget Me Not by Anna Battersby, which posit the obscurity to connect the numbering with the artworks. This is interesting because the site itself is the largest cemetery in the world, which questions the motive for such condensed placement of artworks.
Installation view of number to indicate artwork Installation view of
River Runs Surely to the Sea, number to indicate
artwork Fallen.
The artists questioned beliefs, defined meanings of souls, transpired reflection, and translated memories, just as the Cementries Reserve Trust’s values of respect, reflect and remember are strongly supported in the organisation’s strategic direction.
Generally speaking, many contemporary public art forms are linked to Percent-for-Art initiatives that have combined the requirement for public art to be part of their site. Such links have led some critics to view public art as a commercial art or an art form produced by the committee which limits freedom for inquiring artists whose work continue to evolve (Cartiere & Zebracki, 2015). Would this be the same case with Hidden 2017?
Nguyen, however, incorporates more than the Cementries Reserve Trust’s values. Touching on notions of Japanese culture, Origami, community values and family traditions, his large-scale artwork, One Thousand Crane Wishes, includes 97 individual structures ranging from 30cm to 2.5m. Clearly demonstrated here is his interest with the artmaking process. He said:
“The act of collecting sticks, cutting them to size and binding them together with a red thread is a repetitive exercise that has a strong meditative quality. As with meditation, you simply acknowledge thoughts and feelings of frustration, happiness, content, and desires” (personal communication, Nguyen, 2017)
A quote from Dr. Cameron Cartiere, a practitioner, writer and researcher specializing in public art, which opens this article, addresses confidently the unceasing growth of public art field. Her words highlight the unlimited possibilities to engage people with public space and works of art that provoke dialogue, which is strongly attempted with HIDDEN 2017. While the limitations of display somewhat restrain the viewer to freely access and see the works of art, the vigilant viewer, who has knowledge of public art, is competent to consider the link between this harmonious peaceful place and the visual aesthetic artworks.
References
Department of Primary Industries (2014) Rookwood Mecropolis Plan of Management. Retrieved from http://rookwood.nsw.gov.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Rookwood_PoM-FINAL_WCAG1.pdf
Cartiere, C., & Zebracki, M. (Eds.). (2015). The everyday practice of public art : art, space, and social inclusion.Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
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Cartiere, C., & Willis, S. (Eds.). (2008). The practice of public art. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com
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Rookwood General Cementries Reserve Trust (2017) HIDDEN [Catalogue] pp3-39
Lindauer, M. (2006) The critical museum visitor in Marstine, J. (Ed) New Museum Theory and Practice: an introduction. Blackwell, pp203-225
Prior, N. (2005) A question of perception: Bourdieu, art and the postmodern, The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 123-139.