Pond[er]

Overview

As another summer begins, it'll be time for the NGV International to show off the latest edition of its annual Architecture Commission. Launching Monday, December 6 (until April 2022), this year's winning design is made up of two parts: a vibrant pink pond that's meant to nod to Victoria's inland salt lakes, and a body of Indigenous plants.

The installation is called Pond[er], and hails from Melbourne-based architecture firm Taylor Knights in collaboration with artist James Carey. Their work will see patrons wander through a series of interconnected walkways and accessible platforms and, with one of Pond[er]'s main purposes being to provide somewhere for gallery visitors to cool off, you'll be able to step right in and wade through the water.

The installation is also designed to reflect upon the environment in various ways. By filling the pond with pink-hued water, the piece is designed to get people thinking about its scarcity and importance. And by using Victorian wildflowers among its plants — which will bloom at different times throughout the installation — it also aims to inspire visitors to contemplate just how fleeting and precarious our natural environment can be.

Tom Ross

Top Images: Derek Swalwell and Tom Ross