Artist
Jody Haines

Client
Hickory

Location
Arden Gardens, Vic

Year
2022

Medium
Digiglass and cut steel,

Fabricators and partners
Dan Mitchell – Cultural Consultant
Matter Visuals
City of Melbourne
CBD Development Group

For thousands of years, the area west of the Arden Gardens precinct in North Melbourne was a fertile wetland. The Birrarung flowed in a northwestern curve, leading to a large saltwater lagoon. The area was the gathering, hunting and fishing grounds of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Peoples of the Kulin nations, offering an abundance of natural resources.

Located at the front of Arden Gardens precinct in North Melbourne this work honours the rich history of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Peoples of the Kulin nations through a place-based response to Country.

'Blue Echo' is a metal structure with glass image panels, flowing and twisting to reflect the historical waterways. A map cut into the metal showcases the lake, wetlands, and North Melbourne as it was in the 1820s.

At one end of the structure, a map is cut into the metal, reflecting the lake, wetlands and the North Melbourne area as it was in the 1820’s. These cut-out shapes create a stencil on the walkway beneath, shifting and changing with the sun. The glass panels of the piece reflect the wetlands of the past, graduating from the brown of the soil to the lush green of marshes and trees, then finally the blue of the water and its otherworldly purple halo. 

Complementing the sculpture, Jody has created an online soundscape accessible via QR code. The artwork reimagines the future while respecting Woi Wurrung Sovereignty. This element will reflect the sounds of the wetlands and its resident birds, frogs and insects - a calming and meditative immersion that can be enjoyed in place or at another time. She is also in consultation with Wurundjeri Elders to potentially include a storytelling element. 

Respect for place, people and story is at the heart of Blue Echo, a piece that serves as an important reminder for all those involved in the development of property.