Sculpture by the Sea’s ‘Viewfinder’ presents the sea as you’ve never seen it before

Sculpture by the Sea’s future is far from certain … but that hasn’t dampened buzz on giant ‘periscope’.

Joel Adler with his Viewfinder creation, which is part of this year’s Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. Picture: John Feder

Intense speculation about the future of Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea hasn’t dampened enthusiasm for one eye-catching installation — a two-tonne “Viewfinder” perched precariously on a cliff at Marks Park.

Launching its 23rd edition on Thursday, the organisers of the annual free outdoor sculpture show along the coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama — which attracts 450,000 visitors over 18 days — have been vocal about their clashes with Waverley Council.

Its organisers had expressed frustration over changes to footpath access and outdoor gyms they claimed disrupted the landscape, and with the event’s contract with Waverley Council ending this year, a spokeswoman for Sculpture by the Sea told The Australian that organisers were “in negotiations with councils” but that “at this stage no decision has been made as to whether it will move from Bondi”.

While the controversy has raged, artists have been busy putting the final touches on their sculptures — and one that’s created plenty of buzz is a giant, rusted periscope by first-time Sydney artist Joel Adler.

Using mirrors to capture images of waves crashing 20 metres below, “Viewfinder” had to be brought by a crane piece-by-piece, then reassembled.

Engineers were forced to wait 15 minutes after each section was placed to ensure it wasn’t damaging the rock, before 3.2 tonnes of concrete was then used to stabilise the structure.

“We weren’t allowed to drill or even touch the cliff — so all the engineering for the cantilever is from inside the base,” said Adler, who grew up in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and was a regular visitor to the exhibition as a child.

The view from Adler’s sculpture at Marks Park. Picture: Joel Adler

His Richard Serra-inspired design for Viewfinder won the $15,000 Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Sculptor Mentor Program, but he was forced to create the massive installation in a hurry after learning about the submission deadline four days before it closed.

A pre-construction render of the potential mirror projection of the Viewfinder. Picture: Joel Adler

“It’s a monument to remind us to connect with nature and appreciate the natural world in a real way. It’s a tool for connecting land, sea and people,” said Adler, who now plans to design a similar sculpture unique to other coastal cities in Australia.

While the rocky environment posed an installation risk for Viewfinder, Adler was “absolutely” against the idea of the exhibition moving location. “This is absolutely the best spot for it,” he said.

Viewfinder had been standing for not more than an hour before onlookers began clustering, with a sea of smartphones trying to capture its illusion.

“The mirror of the waves crashing is square, so it’s almost made for photos and Instagram that way. That would be a bit sad if people only saw it through their phones, but what’s nice is that people walking by who are already staring at their phones, they’ll look up and do a double take when they see the crowd.

“It was designed to look very industrial. The fact that you can’t see the mirror until you’re looking down the mirror is very intentional.”