Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens

Day 132 – Sydney, Australia

(I’m only half cheating in my title, I did go back to the Gardens after visiting the art gallery. I also rearranged the pictures of Sydney into several galleries.)

I started my day with some shopping. I wanted to put a new sole on my sandals, that would have cost me as much as the shoes themselves, so I said no.

I went back to the outdoor store where I had seen some shoes I wanted the day before, and tried them: perfect. I ended up with the slightly better, waterproof version, but they are very comfy. (And waterproof, and since Sydney is rainy these days…!) The wonderful saleswoman also found me a waterproof windbreaker, which I sorely needed. And thanks to the Spring sales, I could afford them.

Thus a lot better attired, I faced the pouring rain and went to the Art Gallery of NSW (New South Wales). They are in keeping with the wildly imaginative names of the other art galleries I have visited.

I found some old friends there, the Australian impressionists I discovered on London last year (or was it two years ago?). I found also a few European masters, but not my favourites.

Art Gallery of NSW – The flood of the Darling 1890 – WC Piguenit

Some modern artworks find their way in the middle of the galleries, but nothing like in Adelaide. I like the rendition of Captain Cook (picture header) in a modern setting.

There were a lot of modern and contemporary work that I didn’t like, but that’s art. You like some, you dislike others.

I was hoping to see more Aborigine art, but there were some I enjoyed.

Art Gallery of NSW – Wangkardu – Helicopter Tjungurrayi

The Asian art exhibition had a few surprises as well, such as a piece combining projection, algorithm and sensors: when the visitor approaches a golden panel, it sprouts flowers, that passes from all the blossoming stages before disappearing… if the visitor is gone.

Art Gallery of NSW – Flower and People – Gold – teamLab

The idea is to combine interaction with the visitors while presenting a never-ending, in motion art that will never repeats itself.

I wanted to stay for an evening presentation of an upcoming exhibition, but it was full so I left.

That’s when I went back to the Botanic Gardens, mostly because they were on the way to where I wanted to go and it is more pleasant to go through them than follow a road.

Botanic Gardens – Ibis in a fountain

I saw some pretty birds, some landmarks under a new angle, and heard a cruise ship playing a tune with its foghorn to announce its departure. It was neat!

And that concludes my day.