In 2024 Helen Bodycomb was commissioned as part of a Team – as Lead Artist – together with Project Manager Martin Paten, Writer Cate Kennedy and First Nations Cultural Advisor Aunty Lee-Anne Clarke, for The Reveal, to make a major public art commission for Doongalla, at Olinda in the East Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, Australia.
Their artwork, titled The Reveal, entails an installation of fifteen large basalt boulders. These will include mosaic glass inlays, sand-blasted poetry, Woi wurrung language and symbols (of the Wurundjeri People) and other inlays of glass and stone, to create a rich forest reveal of unseen forest narratives about time, symbiosis and the forest as a holder of stories.
The commission is part of an even larger series of commissioned works. Along the ngurrak barring | RidgeWalk trails, permanent artworks, architectural nodes and historical interpretive signage will speak to the deep connection artists have always found to Country and community in the Dandenong Ranges.Some of Australia’s most significant artists have drawn inspiration from the area. This long tradition of creative inspiration thrives in contemporary practise found throughout in the vibrant villages connected by ngurrak barring.
The project has engaged some of Australia’s most prominent artists, with a deep commitment to centring First Nations artists and designers.
This commission was the result of an open EOI process, culminating in a thorough evaluation conducted by ngurrak barring’s public art panel. Helen Bodycomb and Team’s proposal resonated with the panel for its deep consideration of the environment, cultural significance, and historical context of the site.
Commission and Funding
ngurrak barring is a project developed and delivered by Yarra Ranges Council, and funded in partnership with the Australian and Victorian Governments.