EDEN UNEARTHED: ART IN THE GARDEN AT Eden Gardens Macquarie PARK

UNEARTH YOUR SENSES AND LET YOUR SPIRITS SOAR Eden Unearthed returns for its fifth year with stunning installations in the open-air garden gallery at Macquarie Park #edenunearthed #edenunearthed2021 

Eden Unearthed, the largest privately funded exhibition of its kind in Australia, returns to Macquarie Parks’ Eden Gardens. The 35-installation strong showcase spanning over 2.5 acres prides itself on upholding the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social, with generous stipends paid to support the artist’s work. 

Featured artworks range from sculptural pieces, textile to tactical works, interactive sound and light installations, all capturing something exceptional and ephemeral about our environment, often utilising recycled materials and plant products. This year especially there seems to be a little shimmer and sheen in many of the works, evocative of the hope that lies ahead and the joy we all feel at being able to celebrate and visit art exhibitions once again. 

Graham Forsyth, one of the three Eden Unearthed judges and honorary Associate Professor UNSW Arts and Social Sciences said, “The works, often beautiful, sometimes whimsical, and always enchanting and stimulating, engage with Eden Gardens’ rich resources of spaces, nooks and ‘rooms’, using plinths made from trees, rocks, walls and water. The flow is both ways: the gardens and spaces allow the works of art to be enlivened and made rich with meaning, while the works support an idea of the garden as green, living, fluid and complex.” 

This sprawling exhibition is free to all and runs for a six-month period with the first prize being awarded $10,000 at the launch event on October 31. Picture giant dragonflies, floating houses, a labyrinth made from stick and stones, an expanse of tessellated painted works created in partnership with the trees themselves and suspended and a ‘living biofield’ of lichens and tardigrade micro-organisms. Our interactive catalogue will tell the story behind each piece of work and allow guests to vote for their favourite and hear from the artists themselves. 

Located beside the Lane Cove National Park, Eden Gardens is a beautiful plant mecca and display garden for the whole family. A special Children’s Art Trail and child friendly signage caters to all ages with workshops scheduled for the school holidays in January and again in April. 

Locals, art and plant enthusiasts alike are invited to attend the COVID SAFE launch event on Sunday 31 October, a guided tour begins with a traditional smoking ceremony amongst the gardens and finishes on the lawn with a Q&A with the artists. A small ticket price of $20 will cover seasonal canapes and bubbles. 

For a full list of participating artists and description of their works, visit https://edengardens.com.au/pages/eden-unearthed