Participate in a public artwork that’ll make you feel connected to country, angry at our shared history and in awe of the natural world. Four Thousand Fish will see people from all walks of life coming together to create frozen fish sculptures from the water surrounding Barangaroo Reserve, which will later return to its liquid state as part of a sunset ceremony in an artist’s modern interpretation of a traditional ‘nawi’ bark canoe.
The world premiere installation is named for the number of fish hauled from Sydney Harbour on one day in 1790 – an act of excessive fishing and greed (the colonists could not eat that amount of fish in one day) that had consequences for the delicate ecosystem, which had been preserved for millennia by the Aboriginal women of Warrane (Sydney Harbour). One of those women was, of course, Barangaroo.
Visitors can join in the large-scale art installation and celebrate Barangaroo the woman – and the resilient fisherwomen of Warrane – every weekend during Sydney Festival.