Kaldor Public Art Project 35: Making Art Public

Making Art Public:
50 Years of Kaldor Public Art Projects
7 September 2019 – 16 February 2020
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

Making Art Public was a major exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kaldor Public Art Projects, presented from 7 September 2019 – 16 February 2020 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney.

In 1969, John Kaldor brought artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Australia, where they made one of the most ambitious public artworks ever seen. Titled Wrapped Coast—One Million Square Feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, the project enveloped 2.5km of coastline with fabric and rope. Its success captured international attention and initiated what was to become the world's first public art organisation.

Over half a century, the organisation has realised 34 temporary projects in public spaces, which have had a profound and continuing impact on Australians' experience of contemporary art.

The Making Art Public exhibition was created by acclaimed British artist Michael Landy. Rather than a conventional retrospective, it brought an artist's perspective to bear on the Kaldor projects completed from 1969 to 2019.

Landy reimagined each project within an oversized archive box, using archives, documentation and remnant artworks to distil and reincarnate the projects in new and surprising forms. Installed out of chronological sequence, the archive boxes each offered markedly different experiences and revealed diverse approaches to making art public.

To accompany Making Art Public, Kaldor Public Art Projects commissioned four major new works by Australian artists, reprised three iconic Kaldor projects and presented the Kaldor Studio, an experimental artist-led learning space at the heart of the exhibition. The Living Archives project, which animated the organisation’s history with firsthand stories of past projects, was presented through online articles and live programs.

A comprehensive series of public programs, including tours, panel discussions, study sessions, film screenings, dedicated Art After Hours evenings and a symposium, offered new perspectives on the impact and legacy of Kaldor Public Art Projects.