40 Years Kaldor Public Art Projects 1969-2009

Overview

Having never quite managed to be in the right place to see a Kaldor Public Art Project in the flesh, I'm pretty excited about the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Kaldor retrospective. Seriously. Sure, tucking some glossy photographs neatly into the old white cube seems slightly anathema to the Kaldor ethos, but after 40 years of "yep, that's pretty great" projects, Kaldor is indisputably a significant part of the history (and present) of contemporary art in Australia. A major exhibition accompanied by a substantial publication is just the thing to remind us.

In 1968 there was no MCA, no ACCA, there were no publicly funded contemporary art spaces at all, just John Kaldor twiddling his thumbs wondering how to connect Australia with the international avant-garde. One year later Kaldor brought out Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their Wrapped Coast - one million square feet, Little Bay, Sydney transformed attitudes towards large-scale public art projects and contemporary art more broadly.

Gilbert & George's The Singing Sculpture, Jeff Koons' Puppy, Gregor Schneider's 21 beach cells. Ah yes, we've much to be thankful for.

And, if you were worried it was going to be all flat stuff on walls and in books, the latest Kaldor project is being launched to coincide with the exhibition. Berlin-based Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi is transforming the equestrian sculptures outside the AGNSW with his new work War and Peace and in between. It will be amazing.

Image: Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Christo pictured), Wrapped Coast - one million square feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Photo: Harry Shunk, Courtesy: Kaldor Public Art Projects