Sydney Contemporary, in partnership with Principal Partner MA Financial Group has announced a major 9m high and 20m wide installation of a Skywalker Gibbon by leading contemporary artist Lisa Roet (represented by Gow Langsford Gallery) will appear on the roof of Carriageworks for this year’s edition of the Fair.

“It is great for this work, originally designed for Earth Hour in Beijing 2018 and recently featured at the Edinburgh Festival to be presented by Sydney Contemporary. Recognizing the importance of contemporary art practice with an eye on key issues of our era, I wish to thank the support of my gallery Gow Langsford Gallery, Sydney Contemporary and Carriageworks," says Artist Lisa Roet.

From 5 to 8 September, visitors to Sydney Contemporary will encounter the large-scale inflatable sculpture of the ape hovering above the entrance to the building, marking the first time the work has been presented in Australia.

The sculpture is part of the dynamic Installation Contemporary program curated by Talia Linz, Senior Curator at Artspace. Made of solar-sensitive inflatable material, the work has been hand painted by Melbourne-based artist Roet to depict a Skywalker gibbon, an endangered primate discovered in 2017.

With previous presentations in major cities around the world including Beijing and Edinburgh, the work highlights the impact of humans on the planet and mass extinction of animal species. It is accompanied by an audio projection of the male gibbon love call, recorded by the artist while visiting Borneo.

For over three decades, the central driving force behind Lisa Roet’s practice has been the question of what it is to be human and humanities’ environmental responsibility within an increasingly urbanized society. Committed to exploring ecological issues and genetic discoveries, Roet responds to the image of the ape and monkey as human’s closest animal relative.

The motif acts as a mirror and social commentary that remind us of the necessity to reevaluate our position within this global world.

Roet has developed a highly acclaimed international career and has worked with art and design and science communities worldwide, including zoos, animal sanctuaries, conservation groups and museum archives, to inform and develop her interdisciplinary practice. In 2020 Roet developed a project with the Jane Goodall Institute of Australia to tour a large inflatable chimpanzee, David Greybeard, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Goodall’s first research expedition.

A monograph I AM APE written by Ray Edgar was recently published. Gow Langsford has represented the artist since 2015 and will also be showing a bronze work at Sydney Contemporary.

“As Australia’s premier art fair, we’re always trying to push the envelope and offer our visitors a truly unique and unforgettable experience. We’re delighted to have Lisa Roet’s phenomenal Skywalker Gibbon to greet visitors at the entrance to Carriageworks this year, as well as deliver an incredibly important environmental message," says Sydney Contemporary Fair Director Zoe Paulsen.

Since its foundation in 2013, Sydney Contemporary has established itself as Australia’s premier art fair, regularly attracting over 25,000 visitors at each edition and over $121 million in art sales since its launch.

This year, Sydney Contemporary features over 85 galleries showcasing the work of more than 400 emerging and established artists, and curated programs for Installation, Performance, Talk and Kid Contemporary.

“We are thrilled to present Lisa Roet’s monumental Skywalker Gibbon at Sydney Contemporary. This striking inflatable embodies Lisa’s decades-long commitment to exploring the profound connections between humans and our closest animal relatives. First shown in Beijing, this is the Australian debut of the Skywalker Gibbon, and we are excited for audiences here to experience this powerful commentary on our environmental responsibilities and the urgent need to reconsider our place within the global ecosystem," Director of Gow Langsford Gallery, Anna Jackson says.

Sydney Contemporary will take place at Presenting Partner Carriageworks from 5 - 8 September 2024. Tickets are available to purchase online.

Image: Supplied

Clémence Carayol

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