Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Journey contains 37 individual plexiglass cones, known as ‘Ossolites’.
An award-winning Robert Foster artwork is the first confirmed for display in the future Kingston Arts Precinct.
The artwork, titled The Journey, was gifted to the ACT Government.
The work
Many Canberrans will know The Journey. It had pride of place in the foyer of ActewAGL’s Bunda Street premises for over ten years.
The artwork spans around 300 square metres. It contains 37 plexiglass cones, known as ‘Ossolites’.
These glow different colours according to the time of day. Inbuilt motion sensors also interact with viewers’ movement.
ActewAGL commissioned The Journey in 2010, to mark its 10th anniversary.
The company offered the work to the ACT Government following the sale of the Bunda Street building.
It will now be refurbished and incorporated into the new Kingston Arts Precinct design.
Although The Journey is a gift to the ACT Government, the artist’s estate will receive a voluntary royalty.
This acknowledges the change in ownership and the artist’s continuing interest in the work.
Under the Artist’s Resale Royalty Scheme, artists and their estates are entitled to a 5 per cent royalty whenever an eligible artwork resells in Australia.
The artist
The late Robert Foster was a renowned local artist, best known for the iconic F!NK water jug.
His works are held in major public collections. These include the National Gallery of Australia, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Robert died following a car accident in 2016.
He established F!NK + Co, a design and manufacturing company, with his wife, Gretel Harrison. It has employed many artists who have gone on to productive careers as designers and makers in the region.
“I am super appreciative of artsACT for finding a new home for Robert’s sculpture The Journey so that once again people will be able to walk through his mesmerising forest of lights,” Gretel said.
F!NK + Co will work with the Kingston Arts Precinct design team to integrate The Journey into its new home.
The Kingston Arts Precinct
The Kingston Arts Precinct will be a hub for arts organisations in Canberra.
It will house:
- Canberra Contemporary Art Space
- Canberra Glassworks
- Craft ACT
- M16 Artspace
- Megalo Print Studio
- PhotoAccess
- a new space for Canberra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The precinct will be a fitting new home for The Journey where it will captivate a new audience and further honour the artist’s legacy.
Find out more about the Kingston Arts Precinct at BuiltforCBR.
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