Day 172I cycled along the lakeside to go to The National Portrait Gallery to look at an exhibition of self portraits/perceptions done by teenagers of the district but there was nothing there I felt like sketching. So I went a bit further along, to the National Gallery sculpture garden. This is part of a sculpture installation (Heads from the North) by Dadang Christanto. It was done in 2004, some time after about 360 People (asylum seekers/illegals) were drowned while trying to reach Australia from Indonesia in a leaky boat. My first guess was that there are about 100 heads, but in fact there are about 50. They appear to be 'advancing' - this installation is in a murky pond next to the out door restaurant, with linen covered tables set with wine glasses etc., and people ordering gourmet meals. The scene fills me with unease, as no doubt, is intended. 12 km cycle
6 comments:
You've drawn such interesting sculptures. This one is very unnerving. I like the idea that the sculpture'needs' the environment that it is placed in to be complete
Wow! What an interesting way to honor the lives of those lost in a tragic accident. I found your description of the setting unsettling, so I am sure it would be that way in real life.
Fills me with unease too.
Gosh, that's an odd installation...and thought provoking. More like a memorial. So would the setting be similar to having a hot dog kiosk at the Vietnam Memorial? Quite a nice drawing, too!
Very unsettling indeed. It was a tragedy and we need to be reminded of it.
At first I thought it was politicians rising above the murkiness of their own making.
W.
How erie and yet beautiful at the same time and such an amazing concept to make the sculpture as just the heads floating in water. Last night I was looking at some drawings in my friend's illustrated book accompanying Samuel Pepys diaries from London in the 1600s that he's reading. I asked him what the odd things were on top of a building and he told me they were heads on spikes. Apparently that's what was done with criminals who were killed. Weird to see more disembodied heads the next day on your blog.
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