Overview
There's rarely a bad time to wander through a rainforest, especially after a year that's had everyone spending more time at home than usual. But if you're planning a trip to the Blue Mountains to take in its vivid greenery, visiting during April 2021 is particularly recommended. That's when Sculpture at Scenic World is back in the area after a two-year break, after its 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The exhibition is as straightforward as it sounds, and also as striking. Between Thursday, April 1–Sunday, May 2, Scenic World in Katoomba is placing dozens of large-scale sculptures and installations throughout its ultra-scenic surroundings, with visitors able to mosey through them and enjoy their oversized sights at their own pace.
You'll walk past trees, peer at giant artworks and find yourself in an openair gallery — and, you'll check out pieces from both emerging and established artists in the process. Everything on display will compete for the Scenic World Major Award, too, as judged this year by National Art School's Head of Sculpture Hany Armanious, Sydney-based sculptor Margarita Sampson and The Lock-Up Artistic Director Courtney Novak.
Jono Gooley
The 2021 event features sculptures not only in the rainforest, but, as part of a free outdoor exhibition called Twist & Shout, it extends to sites such as the Carrington Hotel, Mountain Heritage Hotel, and the Fairmont Resort and Spa. The aim: to get folks heading to the area to not only explore Sculpture at Scenic World, but to take in everything that the Blue Mountains region has to offer.
Entry into Sculpture at Scenic World comes with a regular Scenic World ticket, which means that attendees can also enjoy the venue's skyway, railway and cableway while they're there.
Top images: Nick Warfield, Georgina Galea, Mark Surtees and Hannah Surtees, David Jensz, Jono Gooley.