New public art installed at Glenlyon Dam

THE Drop, a $30,000 Hepburn Shire Council public art commission by artist Yu Fang Chi, has been installed at the Glenlyon Dam. The sculpture is a 2.5 metre high reflective stainless steel sculpture in the form of a giant water droplet.

The work was chosen from a shortlist of artist proposals by members of the council's Public Art Advisory Committee.

A media release said the committee felt the artist’s concept connected on many levels to the local area "through the environment, climate change, community interaction with the dam, springs and river, the Djaara people and the overall importance of water to our community".

"A series of circular inlays on the concrete base of The Drop provide clues to the artist’s intentions. The Dja Dja Wurrung word ‘wanyarram’, (meaning ‘water’) connects the work to the importance of water to First Nations peoples. The colour of the inlaid details references the role gold played in the area during the 19th century."

Mayor Cr Brian Hood said the internationally renowned artist had created an important addition to public art in the shire.

"This piece fits so beautifully in the landscape. It reflects the surrounding area and is placed where it is visible right across Glenlyon Dam," Cr Hood said.

"Public art is meant to be accessible and engaging. It starts conversations and I expect this will get people talking."

The track to the artwork is blocked by a locked chain on both sides of the dam. A council spokesperson later said as "a water production reserve" vehicle access was restricted.

The council will host an official opening on Thursday, May 4 at 2pm.

Yu Fang Chi is a Taiwan-born, Melbourne-based artist working within textile, silversmithing, sculpture, and spatial installation.

Chi gained a doctorate from RMIT University and received the Diana Morgan Gold & Silversmithing Prize in 2018. In 2019, she received Career Development Grants from the Australia Council for the Arts and International Cultural Exchange Grants from Taiwan National Culture and Arts Foundation.

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes & contributed