Public Art
Public Art that celebrates history and inspires a sense of place.
Public art is a key part of South Eveleigh and allows all visitors to enjoy these amazing creations in a fully-accessible community precinct. From the hand-forged Eveleigh Tree House and LED installation Happy Rain, both created by visual artist Nell, to the red gum slabs of Untitled by Jonathan Jones which grace the lobby of the Axle Building, South Eveleigh art is there for all to see and explore.
Start by meeting at the latest permanent installation, the amazing Interchange Pavilion by Chris Fox, and wander the rest of the precinct to explore all the community art that is on offer.
Interchange Pavilion by Chris Fox
Interchange Pavilion, by artist Chris Fox, draws inspiration from the precinct’s rail history combining over 250 metres of stainless steel ground rails, 15 tonnes of robotically moulded glass reinforced concrete and 1400 pieces of router-cut hardwood. This unique material palette is supported by a 14-tonne structure made up of over 1650 pieces of digitally fabricated aluminium to create a 350-square-metre public art installation. The artwork is inspired by the iconic geometries of the meeting point between two train tracks. It began with the rail tracks of the area, where Chris noticed the distinctive switch geometry.
Eveleigh Tree House by Nell
In 2018, Sydney-based artist Nell was invited by Mirvac to reimagine a tree house in adult form, wrapped around and within the trees on Eveleigh Green. Situated outside the Community Building at South Eveleigh, the Eveleigh Tree House encourages intergenerational play whilst promoting cultural connectivity, enhancing the everyday experience of the precinct. As an artist, Nell has a wide-ranging of practices traversing installation, sculpture, video, painting and performance, the Eveleigh Tree House captures the essence of imagination, observation and retreat from the world.
Happy Rain by Nell
Happy Rain, Nell’s second public art work at South Eveleigh, takes the form of a large-scale smiling cloud created from LED lighting attached to the exterior of the Community Building, facing Eveleigh Green at South Eveleigh. Nell explains, ‘This simple and universally recognisable imagery invites viewers to reflect on the relationship between weather, environment and mood, as well as the constancy of the natural world within and around our built environments. They reference that which has been eternal to this place – the weather and natural environment, the continuous elements that link Eveleigh of the future with the land of its past’.
Lobby Art by Jonathan Jones
Located in the lobby of Commonwealth Bank’s Axle building, Jonathan Jones’ Untitled (red gum slabs) is a site-specific artwork created in response to South Eveleigh’s rail history. The old red gum slabs were originally harvested in the Koondrook/Barham region on the Murray River, some over 100 years ago. The timber and railway industries have historically employed Indigenous people, with the railway providing the physical means for many to come to Sydney, after the Freedom of Movement Act, in search of a better life. In this way the railway network has been an important network for many Indigenous people. The layout of the slabs reflects the railway lines and their natural shapes talk to the internal architectural treatment of the building, reminding viewers of the site’s past and future.