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Australian Karla Dickins; and the exuberant
floral sculpture Flowers that Bloom in the
Cosmos by Japan's Yayoi Kusama.
From its soaring architectural features to
its cache of creative holdings, NSW's arts
minister Ben Franklin is on record about
his lofty hopes for Sydney Modern Project,
namely that it will be a venue as beloved
as the Guggenheim, the Louvre and the
Tate Modern. That's a heavy lift. None-
theless, possible. The building is radiant,
even luminous. A real breath of life. "My
vision for the Sydney Modern Project has
been to transform the Art Gallery of New
South Wales into an art museum campus
with seamless connections between art,
architecture and landscape," adds Director
Michael Brand, "a generous and intelligent
art museum that believes the art of the past
is crucial to understanding the art of our
own times." That time is now.
sanaa.co.jp
rating, we've ensured the building is more
socially and environmentally sustainable
for future generations." Sydney Modern
Project is Australia's first museum to earn
this much-coveted distinction, setting the
standard for like-minded institutions across
the world.
The world is watching, too—certainly
the art world. Sydney Modern Project
is a canvas for top creative talent. New
Zealand artist Lisa Reihana, for instance,
whose monumental moving-image
work GROUNDLOOP is a dazzling sci-fi
display overlooking the new building's
central atrium. Elsewhere is Here Comes
Everybody, the fantastical bronze figures
of New Zealander Francis Upritchard; the
experimental installation Spirit House by
American-Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei;
the vibrant and provocative mixed-media
work To see or not to see by Aboriginal
Above: Exterior view of the Welcome Plaza of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new building, featuring Francis Upritchard Here Comes Everybody 2022, photo © Iwan Baan
52 DIGS.NET
| 5.19.23
