With acclaimed artist Bruce Munro’s citywide exhibition, Darwin seals its status as an Australian art hub
“Every city has its own unique fingerprint and Darwin is no exception,” says London-born artist Bruce Munro, who first visited the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) in 1992. “It’s a very relaxed, cultural and culinary melting pot located between a vast tropical forest and an aquamarine coastline [and is] a place of adventure and inspiration.”
Turns out, NT is pretty fond of Munro, too. His “Field of Light” installation at Uluru, at the territory’s southern tip, has proved so popular that its showing has been extended indefinitely. Back in Darwin, his free outdoor exhibition, “Bruce Munro: Tropical Light”, is the latest addition to the city’s burgeoning art scene.
The exhibition is spread along a winding 2.5km path around Darwin’s historic centre and its Waterfront leisure zone, and features eight major installations. It is best to view them twice: appreciating their structure in daylight, and returning for a new perspective once they are illuminated at 7pm each night.
Each piece is a nod to Munro’s experiences in NT. One of the installations, Green Flash, was inspired by a natural phenomenon that sometimes occurs at sunset when the atmosphere splits light into different colours. Another installation, Telegraph Rose, is shaped like a Sturt’s desert rose, the territory’s floral emblem. Six local artists were also commissioned to create accompanying artworks to extend this citywide makeover.
The exhibition runs till 30 April 2020. The year will also be packed with events such as the Fringe Festival in July, the Aboriginal Art Fair in August and the return of the Street Art Festival in September, which over three years has transformed the city with nearly 40 murals – befitting its status as an emerging arts hub.
3 contemporary art shows to catch
Chiang Mai
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum’s “Temporal Topography” exhibition showcases its recent acquisitions. Ends 30 March 2020.
Yogyakarta
Jogja National Museum offers monthly exhibitions that feature the work of local and visiting contemporary names, including current artist-in- residence, Masashi Echigo.
Hiroshima
From 21 Dec 2019 to 1 Mar 2020, the Museum of Contemporary Art plays host to a mixed-media exhibition that explores the concepts of “family” and “home” in Japan.
SEE ALSO: 3 fun facts about upcoming global art exhibitions
This article was originally published in the December 2019 issue of Silkwinds magazine
