The Sydney Harbour foreshore is already our city's pearl, and the 9km Foreshore Walk (from Pyrmont to Woolloomooloo) will soon be jazzed up with a number of oyster-themed art installations – in an effort to help visitors to the area build a deeper connection to Country.
The latest installation in a project known as 'Yananurala' comes from Yuwaalaraay designer Lucy Simpson, who has designed a range of giant mud-flat oyster artworks to bring pearlescent energy to the foreshore.
The sculptures are a nod to the many mud flat oyster clusters that were once found around Yurong (Mrs Macquarie’s Point), the Woolloomooloo bay foreshore, Cockle Bay and the headland at Barangaroo.
The significance of these oysters to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander will be further expanded upon with a soundscape component to the installation – audio narratives will explain the history and heritage of the Harbour.
The sculptures are interactive – passersby will be invited to explore the oyster sculptures by sitting in, standing on and touching the giant artworks. In short: you can become a pearl in an oyster for the day.
Designer Simpson and her art concept were selected from a call-out during the ongoing Yananurala project, and she says she got the idea after being inspired by the rich storytelling that oysters allow. “What I loved about these oyster shell forms is a layering of time embodied in their shapes; you can read their experience and memory,” she says.
“Their growth rings are worn and aged as they’ve moved with the tides and rested in the sun. They also come from this first point of contact at Kamay (Botany Bay), a significant meeting point where histories collide, intertwine and sit atop one another. This place and these forms are complex and layered.”
The Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council has been involved in the project from the beginning, and their CEO, Nathan Moran, says: “Lucy Simpson’s oyster installations along the water’s edge will provide an opportunity for everyone to be immersed in the local culture when travelling into Country. You pay respect by becoming one with that Country.”
There have already been 11 installations added along the 9km foreshore walk, with more artworks set to be announced throughout the year. Lace up your walking shoes and go exploring – the Sydney Harbour foreshore is your oyster.
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