-
Public Art, Artist Services
-
Lucy Simpson (Yuwaalaraay)
Oyster Sculptures to Invoke Connection to Country Along Harbour Foreshore Walk
Yuwaalaraay designer Lucy Simpson’s oyster installations with accompanying soundscapes are planned for prime locations along the harbour as part of a 9km foreshore walk highlighting historically significant Aboriginal sites, people and stories. We work closely with Lucy Simpson through the expression of interest process and the preliminary deign processes prior to fabrication.
Guided by its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel, the City of Sydney will continue a series of conversations with local Aboriginal communities to gather and embed local narratives of place to share alongside the sculptures.
The oyster artworks are the latest component of a walk from Pirrama (Pyrmont) to Wallamool (Woolloomooloo) curated by Emily McDaniel called Yananurala, a name from the Sydney Aboriginal language meaning to walk Country. Eleven interpretive signs have already been installed along the route.
The installations depict clusters of mud flat oyster forms, once prevalent in the harbour, and will sit at water’s edge locations like Yurong (Mrs Macquarie’s Point), the Woolloomooloo bay foreshore, Cockle Bay and the headland at Barangaroo.
These locations highlight relationships with other key sites across waterways and in the distance. Audio will enhance the experience of being on Country, bringing to life the rich narratives of the harbour, and cultural and social heritage of the sites.
Simpson’s design for the Sitelines and Conversations sculptures was selected following an open callout for ideas for this phase of the long-term Yananurala project.
“These installations are a celebration of Country, story and relationships. They provide an invitation to connect to continuing ways of knowing and relating to Country,” designer Lucy Simpson said.
“People can sit, stand, touch and connect with these works, hold conversations with each other and with time, and tune in to Country and reflect on the deep layers of history and stories at these sites.
“What I loved about these oyster shell forms is a layering of time embodied in their shapes; you can read their experience and memory. Their growth rings are worn and aged as they’ve moved with the tides and rested in the sun. They also come from this first point of contact at Kamay (Botany Bay), a significant meeting point where histories collide, intertwine and sit atop one another. This place and these forms are complex and layered.”
The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council has been involved in the project from its inception.
“Lucy Simpson’s oyster installations along the water’s edge will provide an opportunity for everyone to be immersed in the local culture when travelling into Country. You pay respect by becoming one with that Country,” Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council CEO, Nathan Moran, said.
These works are part of the City of Sydney’s long-standing Eora Journey: recognition in the public domain program, which includes a series of major public artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
“These beautiful and functional artworks will encourage people to take a moment and connect with their surroundings and with the histories, stories and living culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.
“Through their placement and arrangement, along with accompanying audio, the works tell stories of people and places and of community connection, resilience and stewardship.