A barra in Paris on a grand scale

HAROLD Mitchell waves his hand and predicts this will be the "most famous barramundi on Earth".

Lena Nyadbi with her work "Dayiwul Lirlmim" (Barramundi Scales)

HAROLD Mitchell waves his hand and predicts this will be the "most famous barramundi on Earth". And like all good fishing stories, it's the scale of this one that makes the tale so grand.

From early June, a new work by Kimberley artist Lena Nyadbi will be unveiled on the roof of the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. Stretching across 700sq m, the project is being installed with a particular perspective in mind: the top of the Eiffel Tower, where visitors will be able to look down on Paris and think of the remote community of Warmun.

Nyadbi created the work -- Dayiwul Lirlmim (Barramundi Scales) -- with Paris in mind. From the banks of the Seine to Western Australia, she says the shiny scales of the barramundi resonate around the world.

Such a prominent display on the roof of the museum is also likely to have a dramatic effect on the surrounding environment, too. "It might change it, the city," she said.

The project was announced in Canberra yesterday as a partnership between the French museum, the Australia Council and the Harold Mitchell Foundation.

It comes seven years after the launch of the museum, a Jacques Chirac initiative. The works of eight Aboriginal artists, Nyadbi among them, were included in the original structure of the building, and remain on permanent display.

"This is the great opportunity that Australia has," Mitchell said. "We must grab these opportunities when we can to tell the world what we are."

Museum president Stephane Martin approached the Australia Council two years ago with an idea for a large-scale installation in Paris. Nyadbi was eventually commissioned to paint a work for the occasion.

The black and white painting she produced was on display at yesterday's announcement at the National Gallery of Australia and will be lent by Mitchell to the museum. And it was, considering the next step, relatively modest in size: 140cm by 100cm.

For Paris, Nyadbi's original will be amplified 46 times. It will be installed on the roof of the Musee du Quai Branly with stencils and paint ordinarily used for traffic markings on the street. Martin said he expected the installation to be received warmly by the residents of Paris. Navigating the bureaucracies of the city, though, has clearly been a challenge.

"The attitudes in Paris are very conservative," Mitchell said. "When Branly was built, we were sued by four different organisations. It was seen as too modern, too disturbing, too colourful. Now when you look at the real estate part of the newspaper, the areas in front of this museum fetch very high prices. It has become very popular."

While Mitchell joked that the work may yet be seen from space, Arts Minister Tony Burke pointed out yet another way to experience this unique project.

"When you walk through and look at the walls of the museum, you will miss it," he said. "But when you sit at home and click on Google Earth you will find it."