South Australia’s innovation district Lot Fourteen has unveiled a landmark sculpture by local artist Sundari Carmody, one of several art installations commissioned for the area.
‘One: all that we can see’ represents the hypothesised ratio of between the visible and invisible universe. It is estimated that 5 per cent of the universe is visible matter but 95 per cent unseen dark matter and dark energy.
Visible matter is represented by an LED component within a four-metre black steel tubular ring, representing the remainder of the unseen universe. It is located at the North Terrace.
Entitled ‘One: all that we can see’ the piece was funded by the South Australian government through stage one of the Lot Fourteen Arts and Culture Plan 2020-24. Commisions were made at the advice of the Arts and Culture Advisory Group, the Australian Space Discovery Centre, and Guildhouse, a not-for-profit organisation supporting artists
Ms Carmody’s works are focused on the unknown, or what lies in ‘the dark’, investigating the scientific, cultural, physiological, and psychological aspects of the concept. According to her website, “relevant precedents to her methodology include research in the areas of dark matter, sleep and the study of nocturnal creatures”.
As she continued her research, Ms Carmody became fascinated by the observations of female American astronomer Vera Rubin. Ms Rubin’s work was pioneering in the study of galaxy rotation, which proved the existence dark matter.
Looking at the orbiting velocity of stars at the edge of the Andromeda galaxy, Ms Rubin found they moved much faster than was generally supposed. It appeared there was insufficient visible mass to account for the high velocity of these stars, hence suggesting the existence of dark matter.
Ms Carmody’s artwork was selected as it fits the call for “artwork to speak to space exploration, technology, and futures”. She thanked Lot Fourteen, Guildhouse, and Exhibition Studios for their collaboration.
“I am both honoured and humbled to be contributing a public artwork to this city, joining the works of many esteemed and respected artists,” Ms Carmody said.
“My practice is based around ideas that explore relationships between consciousness and the cosmos. These fields are profoundly mysterious, and I am attempting to find useful frameworks to give form to aspects of both that are invisible or lie just beyond the limits of our perception.”
She received her Bachelor of Visual Art with Honours from the University of South Australia in 2011 has received seven grants and awards. Across her 11-year career, Ms Carmody has held eight solo exhibitions across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Hobart, and Adelaide.
State Project Lead Lot Fourteen Di Dixon said that arts an cultural are an essential part of the district and help to create a meaningful sense of place.
“We hope that providing space for innovators and entrepreneurs where art, culture and technology exist in harmony will provoke creativity and innovation while also providing something for the whole community to enjoy,” Ms Dixon said.
The $200 million Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre at Lot Fourteen is expected to open in early 2025. A combined $757 million investment has been committed to the $2.2 billion district by the South Australian and Commonwealth government.
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