A vessel of flight
The work centres on a full-sized bicycle transformed into an impossible vehicle of flight. Its rubber tyres are replaced with long, flexible feathers that extend outward, creating the impression that the bicycle has become something more than a means of transport.
It has become a vessel carrying stories, memories and the experience of beginning again.
Riding the bicycle is a small, faceless traveller. The figure is intentionally non-human and without gender, nationality or age. Its tiny body is contrasted by elongated limbs that stretch unnaturally towards the handlebars and pedals. The figure is faceless.
Every person who has left one place and moved toward another. Every person who has existed between cultures, languages, memories and identities.
A living archive
Suspended behind the figure is a large cape fixed in a flying shape. Attached to this cape are hundreds of ribbons, each one hand written by members of South Australia's migrant communities.
Each ribbon carries a personal fragment of memory:
Together these contributions transform the cape into a living archive of migration experiences.
Written by many hands
Between Worlds is developed in partnership with Prima Nota Inc., a South Australian organisation dedicated to supporting Russian-speaking migrants through cultural expression, creativity and community building, while welcoming collaboration across diverse communities.
Through a series of community workshops, participants will be invited to respond to simple questions:
What does home mean to you?
What memory do you carry every day?
Their responses will be handwritten onto ribbons and incorporated directly into the sculpture. The project therefore functions not only as an artwork but also as a platform for community engagement, multicultural participation, migrant storytelling and public dialogue.
The resulting sculpture becomes a collective work carrying the voices of many communities rather than representing a single artist's perspective.
What we carry across borders
Migration is often discussed through statistics, policy and public debate. Between Worlds approaches migration through emotion, symbolism and personal experience.
The installation invites visitors to consider the invisible things people carry with them when they cross borders: language, memory, family, culture, hope, loss, and belonging.
By transforming these experiences into a visually striking suspended form, the work creates an accessible point of connection for audiences regardless of their own background.
Shaped by generations of migration
South Australia has been shaped by generations of migration and continues to welcome people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Between Worlds reflects this reality while providing a platform for community participation and cultural exchange.
The project aligns with contemporary discussions surrounding identity, belonging, inclusion and cultural diversity, while offering opportunities for public programming, educational engagement and community activation.
Its combination of strong visual impact and meaningful social participation makes it particularly suitable for exhibition within Adelaide's cultural institutions.
More than a sculptural installation
Between Worlds offers more than a sculptural installation. It offers:
The project transforms personal memories into a shared public experience and invites visitors to reflect on the journeys that shape individual and collective identity.