Art gallery and Botanic Garden

Day 114 – Adelaide, Australia

To make up for my previous lazy day, I went on a combo Art Gallery + Botanic Garden. Exactly what I did in Darwin, though I did it in a different order there.

I went on the free bus that makes a loop around Adelaide. Of course, this being the weekend, the small loop isn’t in service, leaving me the choice to walk -which I wanted to avoid, but is doable-, or to go for the big loop.

Of course, I realised that once I was aboard the bus and it took a turn I wasn’t expecting. So I went for the big loop, which gave me the bonus of sightseeing.

Some houses really remind me of New Orleans, with first-floor balcony resting on pillars rooted in the street.

I arrived at the Art Gallery of South Australia (what is it with name, in Darwin it was Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, they can’t be more original?), where I was sad to learn that the galleries with the Australian artists were closed. So I had to be content with mostly European, American and Asian artists. Fortunately for me, there was some art from Aborigine artists.

Art Gallery of South Australia – Twin-Subjecter

The exhibits are arranged thematically. Artwork may come from any period or country, but they will answer to a theme: what is it to be human?, rapture, death… that kind of thing. That means some strange things, from quirky sculptures to experimental video footage.

Art Gallery of South Australia – Country

The Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota had a temporay exhibit here as well. She works a lot with strings, having found a canvas a limiting thing.

Art Gallery of South Australia – Chiharu Shiota – State of Being (Dress)

This dress is suspended in black strings, themselves anchored by a steel frame.

Some artworks I found beautiful, others made me think, and others left me indifferent. I enjoyed my time there.

This being a beautiful day, warm, with sunshine (I ended up rolling up my pants to the knee), I went to the Botanic Garden instead of the second museum I wanted to see. That will probably be tomorrow.

Botanic Garden – Cactus garden

Since this is spring, there were many flowers: wisteria, roses, lavender, trees and so on. I saw some ducklings -or water fowl babies.

Botanic Garden – Water lilies

I enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon before strolling a bit along the Torrens River. Apparently, there may be some pelicans.

Pelican warning

As usual, my pictures of the day are in the gallery.