Djon Mundine OAM with Franchesca Cubillo during the installation
NEW GALLERY DESIGN AND ARTWORK INSTALLATION
The Aboriginal Memorial 1988
The 200 traditional hollow log coffins or poles of The Aboriginal Memorial at the National Gallery of Australia commemorate the indigenous people who have lost their lives defending their land since 1788—one for each year of European settlement—and who were denied a proper burial. The poles were made by 43 artists from Ramingining and surrounding communities in Central Arnhem Land Northern Territory.
The first installation of The Aboriginal Memorial opened on 18 May at the 1988 Biennale of Sydney
The Aboriginal Memorial installed on small square metal stands in Gallery 1 at the NGA
Displayed on a 10m x 16m plinth with a 1.4m wide winding path in 2000, at the Hermitage Museum, Russia
Installed in Gallery 1 in late 2000 on a new 13.2m square plinth with a 1.4m path, replicating the Glyde River in Arnhem Land
The work was relocated with its plinth into Gallery 3 from 2006 - 2008
After undergoing over a year of conservation treatment, the work was installed in a new dedicated gallery space in 2010
Adam Worrall has worked on the layout, the design, the development of new pole stands and each installation of The Aboriginal Memorial since the work returned from Russia in mid 2000. He worked closely with PTW architects and the mechanical services engineers to deliver prefect environmental conditions for the work, and with the NGA Director and curatorial staff on the design, layout, and material finishes for the new gallery.
Optimal conditions for the long-term display of the Memorial is a stable Relative Humidity of 50% +/- 5%, with less than 3% change per hour and a temperature of 20oC +/- 1oC. While the entry building has temperature-controlled air conditioning, it could not effectively meet the environmental requirements of the Memorial. Delivering optimal conditions within the large, double height open space required an innovative solution for the environment systems.
Time lapse images showing the progressive installation of The Aboriginal Memorial when it was first installed in the new gallery in 2010
The final design delivers a displacement air supply, concealed below, and integrated within the artwork itself. Air diffusers hidden in the gravel, release air from below that cocoons the poles, while a line of jet nozzles create an air curtain around the 14m diameter of the display, containing the air in proximity to the poles. Additional air curtains designed into the glazed façade, shield the space from excessive heat. A separate air conditioning systems designed to operate continuously year-round with a dedicated back-up generator, ensures a stable environment for the work even if the power is lost.