Xia Hang To Complete Sculpture Commission For Australian Property Developer
By Ophelia Lai
Beijing-based artist XIA HANG is known for creating sculptures by assembling metal components, as seen in the stainless steel work Rangerer (2017). Courtesy the artist.
Australia-based TWT Property Group has commissioned Beijing-based sculptor Xia Hang to create a major public work in Sydney.
Titled Memory Tree, the commissioned sculpture will take the form of a six-meter-high “tree” made out of metal and kinetic lighting. It will be located on a new laneway as part of TWT’s NewLife Darling Harbour development in the Ultimo neighborhood.
Memory Tree is scheduled to be unveiled to the public in 2019, and will be Xia’s first permanent public artwork. He previously exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea on Bondi Beach in 2017, and his work is also part of the permanent collection of Sydney’s White Rabbit Gallery.
Born in 1978 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, Xia graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts before completing a Master of Fine Arts in the sculpture department of the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
The concept of play is central to Xia’s sculptures. Inspired by toys and cartoons of his childhood, including the Transformers franchise, Xia creates dynamic sculptures that sometimes come in multiple configurations, inviting people to interact with his art.
The Memory Tree commission reflects a continued involvement in art for the property group. The company previously established the TWT Creative Precinct in Sydney’s St. Leonards district and is the principal partner of the 2018 Biennale of Sydney.
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