The Dream Lens sculpture adorns the Tuggeranong Foreshore. Photo: James Coleman.
Tuggeranong is now officially home to the ACT’s biggest doughnut (and before you say it, we’re not talking about the smoking-car-tyres type).
‘Dream Lens for the Future’ is the name of the artwork. Up ’til now, you probably knew it as the large granite ring that sat on the median strip between the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings in Civic since 2012.
But to make way for light rail, all four tonnes of it have been carefully removed, trucked down south, and craned into place near the Tuggeranong town centre.
Where before you could see City Hill through its hole on one side and down the centre of Northbourne Avenue from the other side, the Dream Lens now overlooks Lake Tuggeranong, stationed in its own landscaped garden between the Tuggeranong Library and the Communities@Work centre on Cowlishaw Street.
ACT Minister for Business, Arts and Creative Industries Michael Pettersson says the government considered a “wide array of options” for the relocation, but this was the best fit.
“This is a beautiful location,” he says.
“The piece itself really draws a visual focus by looking through it. The previous location in Civic was wonderful, but I truly think we found a beautiful location for it down here in Tuggeranong.”
The Dream Lens sculpture was moved to its new home in February. Photo: Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Facebook.
Dream Lens is the work of Japanese artist Keizo Ushio and was commissioned by ArtsACT in 2012. The government says Mr Ushio was also consulted as part of the move.
“When I installed it near the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and London Circuit in 2012, I was asked: ‘How will this sculpture contribute to the creation of Canberra’s soul?’. I remember answering: ‘This sculpture will continue to watch the rapid development of Canberra’s urban development without changing its form’,” Mr Ushio says.
“This time, it has been moved to a beautiful urban landscape closer to the citizens’ lives. I believe that this sculpture will communicate more intimately with the citizens on a daily basis.”
Mr Ushio says he plans to visit the site in October this year.
Meanwhile, the government has also removed ‘Decollete’, a large-scale sculpture by local artist Michael Le Grand, from Reed Street in Greenway for “conservation”.
The plan is for it to be refurbished and reinstalled later this year in a “more prominent lakefront location” near the Tuggeranong Arts Centre.
Mr Pettersson says the recent shakeup is in response to calls for more public art in the Tuggeranong valley.
“The ACT public art collection is spread across our city, but it’s very clear to me that there are certain parts of the city that deserve more public art,” he says.
“I look closely at the distribution of public art, and I believe that the foreshore is a wonderful place to add more.”
Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Caitlin Tough and Michael Pettersson at the sculpture. Photo: James Coleman.
Lake Tuggeranong’s surrounds are already home to several piece of public art, including ‘Naiad’ (an homage to freshwater nymphs from Greek mythology), ‘We Are Fishes’, and the wind-activated ‘Angel Wings’ (on the corner of Soward Way and Drakeford Drive).
“I think this is becoming a focal point for public art, and I look forward to being able to do more in my time as minister of the arts to really celebrate the arts,” Mr Pettersson says.
ACT Labor members for Brindabella Caitlin Tough and Taimus Werner-Gibbings both welcome it as sign the ACT Government is “taking Tuggeranong seriously”.
“It shows an investment here in Tuggeranong, as part of the foreshore upgrades,” Ms Tough says.
“When you walk out of South/Point or you’re walking along through the town centre, it draws your attention and draws your attention across the lake and through the foreshore. It’s just the perfect spot for it to be.”
“The relocation of Dream Lens for the Future from Civic to our lakeshore is just the start of our work to renew the future of public art across Tuggeranong,” Mr Werner-Gibbings says.
