Sculpture by the Sea celebrates 25th exhibition with increased prize money

More than 100 sculptures will be exhibited with about 450,000 people expected to visit over the course of 18 days.

Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi will celebrate its 25th exhibition when it returns to the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk on Friday.

To mark the milestone, the prestigious Aqualand Sculpture Award has increased to $100,000, to be awarded to an artist whose sculpture will be gifted for permanent public placement.

Clovelly’s John Petrie will again take part after his debut in the first Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, in 1997.

“The year before, I had won the inaugural Thursday Plantation Sculpture Prize in Ballina, with a reclining figure made from boulders, so this gave me the confidence to try for Sculpture by the Sea. I got in and won the Waverley Council Prize,” he said.

John Petrie. Picture: Henri Fanti

This year’s sculpture, called 23.5°, is made with basalt and refers to the angle of Earth’s axis.

“The idea came when thinking about how I should position the upper boulder on the lower one,” Petrie said. “Because I work primarily in boulders (which is probably a metaphor for the Earth), I thought it was a good idea.

“One theory why the Earth is on an axis of 23.5° is that it came about because of a collision with another planet; an incredible fact but one that determines life on Earth as we know it.”

Nature and natural forms are the inspirations behind Petrie’s installations. When it comes to working with stone, complex engineering, cranes and trucks are involved.

“It’s heavy and uncompromising,” Petrie said. “I have to co-ordinate quite a bit.

“Dealing with tonnes of suspended stone has its tense moments, however, seeing it all realised is exciting and rewarding.”

Bondi Beach residents Sophie Lanigan and Max Volfneuk were inspired to become sculptors after visiting the exhibition for years as children.

“We have always felt like creative people - drawing, making and investigating the material world,” Lanigan said.

“Our artistic practice is more informed by works of architecture and design, but for A Bed of Oysters, we were inspired by Christo and Jean Claude.

“This artwork is about the importance of respecting the marine ecosystems that exist along urban coasts with a particular focus on the role oysters play in filtering water and improving biodiversity. I hope it inspires people to think about the possibility of nature based solutions for coastal erosion and biodiversity loss.”

More than 100 sculptures and other works will be exhibited along the 2km coastal walk with about 450,000 people expected to visit over the course of 18 days.

Hot with the Chance of a Late Storm (2006).

Five other artists who exhibited in 1997 with Petrie will be returning to Bondi, as will the popular 2006 artwork, Hot with the Chance of a Late Storm, from art collective Glue Society + James Dive.

David Handley, the event’s founding chief executive and artistic director, said Sculpture by the Sea had quickly become a major international sculpture park.

“The aim in 1997 was to create a very significant sculpture exhibition and it has been a wonderful journey,” he said. “We’re delighted that people have responded with enthusiasm since the first one-day exhibition run by volunteers.”

Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, October 20 to November 6. sculpturebythesea.com