KORBAN FLAUBERT

HOVERING AT THE PERIPHERY OF THE NEWLY LANDSCAPED COURTYARD 'HIDDEN' REFERS TO A MUCH EARLIER SET OF LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATIONS ON THE ADVANX SITE. IT REFERS TO THE CONCEALED GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF RUSHCUTTERS BAY. THE CONTROL OF WATER AND THE CHANGING SHAPE OF SYDNEY'S FORESHORES IS A COMPELLING SYDNEY STORY. RUSHCUTTERS BAY WAS A MASSIVE WETLAND WITH A NETWORK OF STREAMS RUNNING FROM THE STEEP 'VALE OF LACROSIA' DOWN TO THE HARBOUR.

'HIDDEN' IS A FIELD OF POLES AND HOVERING COLOUR RECALLING THE INSTABILITY AND TENUOUS EQUILIBRIUM OF THE ORIGINAL MARSHY SITE. HIDDEN AT THE EDGES OF THE COURTYARD A SHIFTING OPTICAL EFFECT IS EXPERIENCED BY WALKING PAST OR THROUGH THE FIELD. COLOURED ZONES SHIFT AND REVEAL THEMSELVES WITH THE MOTION OF THE VIEWER.

THE CONTROL OF WATER WAS CRITICAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYDNEY. VAST TRACTS OF MARSHLAND AND INLAND WATERWAY WERE STABILISED AND TRANSFORMED IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE HARBOUR EDGE WAS REPEATEDLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY MODIFIED. THE DEGREE OF TRANSFORMATION IS NOT APPARENT, INLAND SITES SUCH AS THESE WERE ONCE DOMINATED BY WATER. 'HIDDEN' ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE THE MEMORY OF SYDNEY'S WATERY PAST.