List of public art in Canberra

This is a list of public art on permanent public display in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

The list applies only to works of public art accessible in an outdoor public space; it does not include artwork on display inside museums. Public art may include sculptures, statues, monuments, memorials, murals and mosaics.

List

YearNameImageArtistLocation MediumNotesRef1961EthosTom BassCivic SquareCopperThe winged female figure symbolises the civic pride of Canberra residents. The fabric of her robe is decorated with emblems and figures representing the community.1964Father and SonJohn DowieGarema PlaceDedicated to Sir John Downer.1967Play SculptureDavid TolleyCommonwealth ParkPrecast concrete with a painted fibreglass finishConsists of seven separate forms arranged to function as both play equipment and as seating 1967UntitledBert FlugelmanIn front of Bruce Hall, Australian National UniversityCopper sheeted upright set on mosaic tile basinThis fountain is a thoughtful and well-integrated study of the spiralling and radiating movements of water and light.1968Two FiguresBarbara HepworthOut front of National Capital ExhibitionBronze 1968-1973Lintel SculptureTom BassAbove the front entrance of the National Library of AustraliaCopperIt is based on allegorical symbols based on ancient Sumerian and Akkadian seals dating back to 3000 BC.1970Sculptured FormMargel HinderWoden Town CentreAluminiumWinner of a competition that invited artists to represent the "metamorphosis of a typical natural Australian environment into complex development for urban use"1970VirginiaClement MeadmoreNational Gallery of AustraliaWeathering steel365 h x 1402 w x 609 d cm, 8164 kg Cross section 152.25 h cm1973DreamingMilan VojskBetween Reserve Bank of Australia and Canberra City Police StationCast bronze figure on natural rock in rectangular pool1977Seated LadyHerman HohausCommonwealth ParkFrom 1978 to about 2000 this sculpture was located at the government offices canteen in Woden, and then moved to Commonwealth Park.1978SeqvanaeMichael KitchingCanberra City Community Health CentrePolished stainless steel and red fibreglassContains symbolic references to health and medicine 1980Japanese Cherry Tree GroveCanberra City Community Health CentreA gift from the people of Japan presented during a visit in 1980 by Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira.1981Wind SculptureErnst FriesIntersection of Akuna Street and City WalkStainless steel and painted steel 1981EternityJohn RobinsonPetrie PlazaPolished bronze ring and black painted steel Cast in Italy and donated anonymously to the people of Canberra in 19811982GymnastJohn Robinson1983Edmund Barton StatueMarc ClarkSouthwest of Edmund Barton Building1985Holodomor memorialYurii DenysenkoUkrainian Orthodox Centre1986HeadBruce ArmstrongNational Gallery of AustraliaCarved red gum 155.5 h x 90.5 w x 239.5 d cm1988Armillary sphere sundialHendrik ForsterNorthwest corner terrace to Parliament DriveSand-cast and polished bronze on a large granite base A gift from the Country Women's Association to the nation for the opening of Parliament House1988Eglė the Queen of SerpentsIeva PociusGlebe ParkBronzeRefers to a Lithuanian folk tale about Eglė the Queen of Serpents1988IllumicubeKerry SimpsonCanberra Centre entrance through Ainslie AvenueGlass and programmable LED lightingMade from 570 glass bricks1989Resting Place of the DragonflyMary KayserCommonwealth ParkPainted steelOriginally exhibited as part of the 1989 Floriade Sculpture Project1995Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 9Henry MooreEast corner of the National Library of AustraliaOne of nine two-piece sculptures Moore created, starting in 19592000Lola Black Lola PinkStephanie BurnsEast entrance of the Canberra Museum and GalleryBronze2000Shevchenko's VisionsAnatoly ValievUkrainian Orthodox CentreIn honour of Ukrainian writer, poet and artist Taras Shevchenko. Presented to the Ukrainian community in Australia by the city of Kyiv.2000Korean War MemorialAnzac ParadeCommemorates the Australians who served and who died in the Korean War2001CushionMatthew HardingGarema PlaceStainless steel, polished granite "wedge" plinth, steel inlayed poetry pagesA lounging large stainless steel cushion. A poem by Marion Halligan lies on scattered pages on the granite plinth below the cushion to form a tribute to Garema Place.2001Casuarina PodsMatthew HardingCity Walk, CanberraBronze2001Ainslie's SheepLes KossatzCity Walk, CanberraCast aluminium2001CircuitryFiona HootonJunction of Alinga Street and Mort StreetPainted steel2002DiamondsNeil DawsonNational Gallery of AustraliaAluminium extrusion, mesh painted with synthetic polymer automotive paints, stainless steel fittings, cables2002VortexDavid JenszNew Acton PrecinctCorrugated iron190 X 210 X 235 cm2005Red and BlueInge KingNational Gallery of AustraliaPolychrome steel2006ACT MemorialMatthew HardingAinslie PlaceDedicated in 20062006Fractal WeaveDavid JenszCanberra Theatre CentreTwo woven curved forms in copper piping and sits on a granite plinth2007ResilienceAnte DabroIntersection of Binara St and City WalkBronze2007GatherMatthew TobinIntersection of Bougainville Street and Flinders Way, GriffithBronze and mosaic tileThese sculptures appear as a group of surreal vegetative forms crowned with oversized seed pods (referencing nearby Liquidambar trees).2007RelicRick AmorIntersection of Childers Street and University AvenueBronzeIt is a bronze sentinel, an ancient figure borne from distant memory, standing at a nexus of both time and place.2007Sculpture No 23 (The Parcel)Alex SetonCorner of West Row and Alinga StreetWestern Australian jade green marble, white marble and resin inlayIt is a carved illusion where an everyday object is transformed into and object of art.2008Choice of PassagePhil PriceWaldorf Arcade, London CircuitPolyurethane painted fabricated steelIt uses abstract forms to create a sense of balance and poise.2008The Big Little ManDean BowenPetrie PlazaBronzeIt provokes interaction and discussion.2008UntitledJean-Pierre Rives7 London CircuitPainted steelDonated to the ACT Public Art Collection by Leighton Properties2008Rain PoolsStephen NewtonEast side of Clare Holland HouseCarved graniteIt is a series of granite discs that respond to the tranquillity of Lake Burley Griffin. They symbolise circles of support and the bonds of a common humanity.2008Dinornis MaximusPhil PriceYarra Glen, CurtinWind kinetic sculpture 11 metre tallIt uses fully-sealed rolling bearing systems designed for longevity and environmental resilience to create "a wind powered ballet in the sky".2009On the StaircaseKeld MoseholmGorman Arts Centre courtyardBronze, copperIt has a philosophical aspect by reflecting on the effect of reading on the spirit - 'the more I read the smaller I feel'.2009IcarusJan BrownGarema PlaceBronzeFour bronze figures are inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Icarus.2009Vessel of (Horti)cultural PlentyWarren LangleyIntersection of Rimmer Street and Marcus Clarke StreetGalvanised steel, polycarbonate, LED lightsThe Vessel holds abstracted flowers that are illuminated at night and move with the breeze.2009DNAJonathon LeaheyAlexandrina Drive, YarralumlaCorten steel, stainless steelIt consists of 27 interconnected cubes.2009GenesisAnte Dabro25 Brindabella Circuit, Brindabella Business ParkThe artist describes it as “a symphony of forms and echoes the beginning of time, sensing the site called for a composition of two”.2009Young EagleQian Jian Huaintersection of Bunda Street and Garema PlaceBronzeIt evokes the strength, optimism and freedom of youth - a spirit that can be embraced at any age.2010Windstone - A Trail of a CloudKoichi IshinoGlebe parkStainless steel, graniteThe solidity and surface detail of natural granite is a sharp contrast to the ethereal, mirrored surface of stainless steel.2010Cupressus sempervirensPaul JamiesonThe lane on the west of New Acton Precinct2010Life CycleDavid JenszIntersection of Bunda Street and Petrie PlazaStainless steel, stoneMixture of stone and steel create a form that is both supple and organic. The double spiral of tightly packed stones is a visual metaphor for a life crammed full of experience.2010EranGloria ThapichNational Gallery of AustraliaAluminium2.7 meters height2010Within withoutJames TurrellNational Gallery of AustraliaThis Skyspace is a viewing chamber that affects the way we perceive the sky.2010Ebb and FlowMatthew HardingCorner of Bunda Street and Genge StreetStainless steelIt draws in and reflects back the movement and colour of one of Canberra's busiest urban streets. The sculpture appears to be made of liquid and light.2010TokuShinki KatoLennox GardensSteel, granite, mirrorToku was commissioned to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of Japan’s ancient capital.2010SaltimbanqueTim KyleKendall Lane, New Acton Precinct2011Modern ManTim KyleNew Acton Precinct2011Statues of Prime Minister John Curtin and Treasurer Ben ChifleyPeter CorlettIntersection of Walpole Crescent and Queen Victoria TerraceBronze2011Lady With FlowersDean BowenFlemington Road, GungahlinBronze2011A is for Alexander B is for Bunyip C is for CanberraAnne RossFlemington Road, GungahlinBronze, Stainless Steel, Glass, LightInspired by the popular 1972 children's book, The Monster that Ate Canberra by Michael Salmon2011The Big Powerful OwlBruce ArmstrongIntersection of Benjamin Way and Belconnen WayCast composite, steel, hardwood, paintIt honours the Powerful owl, Ninox strenua, which is the largest owl species in Australasia.2011Two to TangoMichael Le GrandShakespeare Square, London CircuitPainted steelIt refers to couples or plant shoots reflecting the growth and rise of the city centre and its changing demographic.2011bush pack (nil tenure)Amanda StuartCity Walk, CanberraBronzeSeven dogs in three groups run down City Walk in the direction of the Civic carousel. The artwork is of an intimate pedestrian scale.2011Fenix 2N/ALatin American Plaza, Childers StreetStainless steelReplica of the capsule that rescued 33 trapped miners from the San Jose mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile in October 2010.2011Folding Ground Across the In Between (Pink sculpture) Sky Shard Above the In Between (Blue sculpture)Jon TarryIntersection of Moore Street and Rudd Street (Pink sculpture) (Blue sculpture)Steel and paint2012Robert Menzies statuePeter CorlettCommonwealth ParkBronze2012Perception and Reality 1Andrew RogersCanberra AirportBronzeAustralia’s largest cast figurative bronze sculpture 2012The Other Side of MidnightAnne RossCity WalkBronze, stainless steel2012ChalchiuhtlicueJesús MayagoitiaLatin American Plaza, Childers StreetSteelInspired by the pre-Hispanic stone sculpture of the same name, found at the archaeological site of Teotihuacan, Mexico.2012DropletStuart Green23 Furzer Street, PhillipElectro-polished 316 grade stainless steel2012Poets' CornerCathy WeiszmannGlebe ParkBronze and GraniteThree bronze busts depicting Canberra-focused Australian poets Judith Wright, A. D. Hope and David Campbell 2012Dream Lens for the FutureKeizo UshioVibe Hotel CanberraJapanese GraniteCarved from a single piece of stone 2012JourneysPhil PriceEntrance to the Canberra Airport Wind-activated kinetic sculpture that has 22 moving joints2012LongitudeMatthew HardingVeterans ParkGraniteThe artist takes up the concept of emotional separation that service personnel and their families experience during periods of active duty2012-2014Big SnakePhil PriceLegislative PlazaWind-activated kinetic sculpture.