A major artwork which gained international recognition after being installed on a white, salt surface in the Goldfields has been gifted to the people of Western Australia by British sculptor Antony Gormley.
A major artwork which gained international recognition after being installed on a white, salt surface in the Goldfields has been gifted to the people of Western Australia by British sculptor Antony Gormley.
'Inside Australia' - a series of stark, reduced human figures at Lake Ballard, near Menzies north of Kalgoorlie, will now remain a permanent fixture.
Tourism and Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale said she was delighted to accept such a generous gift on behalf of all Western Australians.
The Minister said the Art Gallery of Western Australia would take charge of the curatorial and conservational care of the outstanding sculptures.
The Carpenter Government would also provide nearly $500,000 for the maintenance and care of the site, ensuring the security of the figures and a high level of visitor amenity.
The full text of a Ministerial announcement is pasted below
A major artwork which gained international recognition after being installed on a white, salt surface in the Goldfields has been gifted to the people of Western Australia by British sculptor Antony Gormley.
'Inside Australia' - a series of stark, reduced human figures at Lake Ballard, near Menzies north of Kalgoorlie, will now remain a permanent fixture.
Tourism and Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale said she was delighted to accept such a generous gift on behalf of all Western Australians.
"It is a magnificent gesture by the artist to give this wonderful work to the people of our State," Ms McHale said.
"The 51 'Insiders', portraits of the local community, were placed across ten square kilometres of Lake Ballard for the 2003 Perth International Arts Festival and have been so appreciated by the community and visitors, we're delighted they will stay forever."
The Minister said the Art Gallery of Western Australia would take charge of the curatorial and conservational care of the outstanding sculptures.
The Carpenter Government would also provide nearly $500,000 for the maintenance and care of the site, ensuring the security of the figures and a high level of visitor amenity.
Mr Gormley said the installation combined the area's ancient geology with the most advanced technology.
"The project links the interior of this continent with the interior of its inhabitants, whether indigenous or newcomer, and celebrates the continuing connection between human consciousness and the earth," Mr Gormley said.
"The alloy of metals the figures are made from is actually derived from the local land.
"The process of making 'Inside Australia' involved taking full body scans of nearly all the residents of Menzies with a local animation company collating the data and casting the concentrated forms at a Perth foundry."
Mr Gormley's major installation, 'Angel of the North' near Newcastle in England is another of his well-known public works and has captured the public imagination in the UK as 'Inside Australia' has in WA.
