An exciting new public artwork will take over Sydney’s Exchange Square at Barangaroo South this week. The intricate work by the Ghost Net Collective comes from a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from Cairns, Townsville and Erub in the Torres Strait. The permanent installation has been dubbed Mermer Waiskeder: Stories of the Moving Tide and it’s set to be one of the largest hand-crafted public artworks in Australia.
Mermer Waiskeder: Stories of the Moving Tide Artwork
If you’re not familiar with The Collective’s repertoire, they’re famous for using harmful fish nets discarded in the ocean and turning them into creative artworks. This excellent new installation aims to bring these ‘ghost nets’ and their dangerous effects on the environment to the public eye.
Keen to see this vibrant artwork? Mermer Waiskeder: Stories of the Moving Tide consists of 11 eagle rays and they’ve all been diligently hand stitched with colourful ghost nets. You can see this artwork at any time of the day or night but it’s especially captivating at night. Illuminated at night, the sculptures will be suspended in the air against a projection of flowing water to give it a truly immersive effect.
The artwork will officially launch this Friday, May 12 with a public celebration including a smoking Ceremony, speeches and dance performance by Kerkar Kus. Find this installation at Exchange Square at Barangaroo South. Read more about the Ghost Net Collective here.