Kaldor Public Art Project

On September 22, Gondwana Sydney Indigenous Choirs and the members of the Sydney Children’s Choir Junior Performing Choirs performed at this the Kaldor Public Art Project, a moving installation devised by Indigenous Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones.
Entitled barrangal dyara /skin and bones, the project is a large sculptural installation in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens that is open from 17th September – 3rd October. The project recalls the original 19th Century Garden Palace that stood on the site and burnt to the ground in 1882. The site is of great significance for the Aboriginal community in Sydney, as the Garden Palace housed an extensive collection Indigenous objects amassed by early European settlers and all the artifacts were lost in the fire.
This is Kaldor Public Art Projects’ 32nd large scale project. Jonathan Jones and the Kaldor team have outlined the shape of the Garden Palace with thousands of bleached white shields. A native kangaroo grassland forms the heart of the installation, which is activated and enlivened by presentations of Aboriginal language, performances, talks, special events and workshops each day.
Gondwana Choirs was honoured to be asked to take part and perform alongside Bangarra Dance Theatre. The program included works by Australian composers Alice Chance, Paul Jarman and Luke Byrne.