RIVER OF MISTS AND SHADOWS. 2024

Abutting Marvel Stadium in Melbourne’s Docklands, River of Mists and Shadows transforms the HOME Docklands lobby into a contemplative space inspired by the nearby Birrarung (Yarra River).  This work is a tribute to the river’s rhythms and its enduring vitality, reimagining its mists and waters as a portal into a world where nature flourishes undisturbed.

The work honours the Birrarung as a living presence, integral to the surrounding landscape and its rhythms, inviting a sensory dialogue through light, sound, and texture. Drawing on the transient beauty of mist settling along the riverbanks, the installation layers semi-transparent fabrics in soft gradients that interact with light and air. These forms shift gently, echoing the river’s movement, blurring the boundary between the tangible and the intangible. This interplay of textures invites visitors to pause and reflect on the delicate cycles of nature and their connection to time.

Anchored within the mist are two sculptural pendants that reference the shadows of eucalyptus trees projected onto water and the intricate filigree traditions of my Portuguese heritage. Their shapes and colours also nod to the regenerative hydra, a microorganism thriving in river ecosystems, highlighting our connection to the micro and macro dimensions of life. These elements intertwine to celebrate resilience, transformation and the unseen connections that sustain ecosystems.

Accompanying the installation is a soundscape that immerses visitors in the river’s essence, dissolving the boundaries between the tangible and the ephemeral. Layered with flowing water, bird calls, and faint echoes of a thriving wetland, the soundscape unfolds like a journey along the riverbank at dawn. It begins with the soft murmur of water meandering through reeds, rising to the lively calls of native birds overhead. As the sound shifts, it reveals moments of quiet reflection, punctuated by the delicate rustling of leaves and the distant hum of nature in motion.

This auditory layer enhances the visual experience, enveloping visitors in an imagined reality where nature’s cycles are uninterrupted and flourishing. By blending the organic rhythms of the river with the textures of light and mist, the soundscape draws listeners deeper into the installation, encouraging them to move through the space as though following the river’s path.

River of Mists and Shadows becomes a sensory meditation on the fragility and resilience of the natural world. It offers not just a visual tribute but a multisensory reflection on the interconnectedness of ecosystems, inviting us to consider how we might preserve and respect the delicate balance of life that sustains us all.

Curated by Craft Victoria and commissioned by Home Apartments, this project is part of a major initiative for the Home Docklands precinct.