A specially commissioned sculpture by celebrated local artist Hiromi Tango has been chosen as the centrepiece artwork for the new $673.3 million Tweed Valley Hospital.
Member for Tweed Geoff Provest said Ms Tango’s large sculpture GARDEN, would be suspended from the high ceilings of the main hospital foyer and has been inspired by the colours of the local landscape.
“Patients, staff and visitors will be captivated by GARDEN, a lush sculpture which will create a vibrant and welcoming space as you enter the new Tweed Valley Hospital,” Mr Provest said.
“The people of the Tweed Valley will recognise GARDEN’s colour palette of blues and greens, illustrating both the hinterland and the ocean and bringing the outdoors inside,” Mr Provest said.
“The unique sculpture will reflect a canopy of lush greenery, by using textiles and sculptural elements to show off local native flora and fauna.
“It will give the new hospital a unique and distinctive identity that will also leave a positive lasting cultural legacy at the new state-of-the-art hospital.”
Health Infrastructure Executive Director Amanda Bock said Ms Tango’s sculpture was selected from 22 expressions of interest, whose arts uses metaphors from the natural world to represent brain processes.
“GARDEN explores the healing properties of flora, including the medicinal and nutritional properties,” Ms Bock said.
“It looks at the natural phenomena of regenerative processes and how art can be good for the soul – this is particularly important in helping to lift the spirits of patients and their families.”
“It will also bring the outdoors inside, reflecting the natural environment of the Tweed Valley region.
Tweed MP Geoff Provest said there will be opportunities for the community to take part in the creative journey of GARDEN.
“Local residents will be invited to share personal reflections on plants and flowers native to the area. There will also be opportunities for people to create the woven elements
that will form part of the permanent artwork.”
Artist, Ms Tango said she hopes the sculpture will bring a sense of peace, calm and comfort to the hospital.
“For many, a hospital visit may involve uncertainty, which can be difficult to deal with. I hope that through bringing art and health together, we will be able to shift the notion of hospital environments to a space of nurturing, education and wellness,” Ms Tango said.
As part of the new hospital’s commitment to arts and culture, there will be works showcasing the culture and the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the region, as well as the Australian South Sea Islander community.
The $673.3 million new Tweed Valley Hospital is on track to open to patients in 2023.
Link to pictures:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1L4BWzcCl2ybCx6T_Aj5xsY1N1wEc61zC