Eigen RadarArts
Archive
Analysis

Powerhouse Parramatta opens with five exhibitions in Western Sydney

Australia’s Powerhouse Parramatta opens on November 7 with five exhibitions in a new building beside the Parramatta River in Western Sydney. Es Devlin’s installations and James Turrell’s light work join displays exploring water, aviation and shopping. The seven-level museum was designed by Moreau Kusunoki and Genton, with an opening festival running through November 29.

Arts··Morning
High-angle view of Powerhouse Parramatta's riverside entrance, with its exterior steel structure, pale facade and visitors walking toward the museum.

Five exhibitions open beside the Parramatta River

Powerhouse Parramatta, a new Australian museum in Western Sydney, opens on November 7 with five inaugural exhibitions. A preview on November 6 introduced its interiors and programme. Work by British artist and stage designer Es Devlin joins exhibitions exploring water, flight and shopping, within a building designed by architecture firms Moreau Kusunoki and Genton.[1], [2]

The museum stands beside the Parramatta River on the Dharug people’s Burramattagal Country. It cost 915 million Australian dollars. A steel structure on the outside surrounds seven levels, with 18,000 square metres of public and exhibition space. The exterior render incorporates 600,000 crushed local oyster shells.[1]

Water, aviation and retail become exhibition subjects

Overflow explores First Nations relationships with water. Task Eternal covers aviation and space exploration, including four Leonardo da Vinci drawings from Milan and a test model of an Apollo command module from the Smithsonian. It also contains James Turrell’s light installation Shangri La (Over the Hump). The Mall uses objects such as the Roselands fountain and David Jones archives to explore retail culture.[1]

Devlin’s installations connect drawings and encounters

Devlin’s The Turning consists of five connected installations. Screen Share draws on 1,500 sketchbooks from three decades, while Collective Portrait invites strangers to draw one another. Outside, Come Home Again addresses 244 threatened species in New South Wales. The opening festival runs from November 7 to 29, with more than 170 events planned over 23 days.[1]

References

  1. News sourceThe AU ReviewPowerhouse Parramatta opens on November 7 with five exhibitions↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceBroadsheetPowerhouse Parramatta opens in Western Sydney on November 7↩

More analysis from this desk

View all Brief analyses from the Arts desk →