Public art in the Georges River area – Interwoven

Artist: Lawrence Liang

Installed: April 2023 (Permanent)

Interwoven, Ormonde Parade, Hurstville.

Public art is a key initiative of Georges River Council, that elevates the visual profile of our places, provides insights into our cultural life and community values, and contributes to the vibrancy of the local area for the enjoyment of all residents and visitors. In April 2023, the public artwork at Ormonde Parade called Interwoven was installed in the transit corridor of the Hurstville Railway Station interchange.

Interwoven concept design, Ormonde Parade, Hurstville.

Interwoven is an imaginative light-based sculptural Installation, that utilises suspended LED lighting and patterned light projections to create a sensory experience and immersive journey along the Ormonde Parade transport hub. The installation transforms the transport hub from a place of waiting to a place of unlimited destinations, synchronised with the rhythm of the urban environment. The LED lighting is a symphony of art and symbolism, configured into straight lines and sweeping forms. Each trail of light represents a map after a corridor of connectivity within Georges River LGA; waterways, arterial roads, railways, traditional trails, and bus routes. The work pays homage to the past, present, and future of the Georges River area, drawing inspiration from the waterways, local flora and fauna and rich First Nations heritage.

Image: Installing interwoven, 26 April 2023.

The work of Sydney-based artist Lawrence Liang (Lawrence Liang Public Art) renowned for immersive audio visual and mixed media sculptures and installations, won the competitive Expressions of Interest process in February 2022 to commission a public artwork for Ormonde Parade. Working with Tilt Industrial Designs to develop, fabricate and install the artwork, Interwoven immerses visitors as they walk underneath it, allowing them to experience the ebb and flow rhythm of the artwork, its changing light sequence and patterns, as they move along the corridor.  Lawrence Liang is a first-generation Australian Chinese Artist who has worked under mentors such as Lucy Keeler of Public Art Australia and Aaron Seeto of Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum MACAN) with a focus now on immersive temporary audio visual and mixed media sculptures and installations as well as permanent public artworks in shared urban spaces. Prior to this project, Lawrence has completed commissioned art projects for Georges River Council’s Un[contained], Vivid Sydney and Sculpture by the Sea.

Interwoven enriches the transit waiting and meeting spaces in Ormonde parade and the transport hub, the multicoloured lights overhead create shadows on the walls, ground and seats shaping the space visitors walk through and wait in. Reminiscent of the network of interconnecting transit systems the installation also takes on an organic and playful dance of light and shadow suggesting possible journeys ahead.

You can find Interwoven at the Ormonde Parade transport hub capturing the attention of the 60,000 transiting commuters who pass though this intersection daily.

• Ormonde Pde, Hurstville, NSW, Australia