Before you check out NGV’s marvellous Chanel exhibition, take a moment to wander through the gloriously pink pond first. Evocative of Australia’s pink in-land salt lakes, this large pink pond at NGV marks the perfect start to the summer months. Wade through the pink waters or simply rest and relax by the edge. Entry is free and bookings aren’t required for this pleasantly pink experience.
NGV Pink Pond
Designed and produced by architecture firm Taylor Knights and artist James Carey, you’ll find this pink pond in the Grollo Equiset sculpture garden. Visitors are invited to interact with the installation as a way to cool off during the hot summer months.
A series of interconnected pathways will allow audiences to wander through the blushing pink pond. If you’d like to get a little wetter, simply step down into the pool and wade through the water. Nearby, native Victorian wildflowers will bloom at various times throughout the installation. These native plants will highlight both the wonder and the precariousness of our natural ecology.
As the title of the piece suggests, visitors sitting around the pond, dipping their toes in and cooling off this summer are asked to reflect on what they see: water, our most precious natural resource, and its scarcity as well as the beauty and temporality of nature.
NGV director, Tony Ellwood, said “Through an elegant interplay of architectural and landscape elements, this work draws our attention to the challenges facing Australia’s many catchments and river systems, whilst also ensuring that the design itself has minimal environmental impact by considering the future lifecycle of the materials used.”
The materials for the installation have been sourced locally and, where possible, will then be distributed back to the community through Landcare and Indigenous groups following deinstallation.
Pond[er] is expected to remain in the Grollo Equiset Garden until August 28 next year.