Take one glance at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks and it’s obvious the big brick structure is dripping with history. It started out as a place that housed male convicts in the early 1800s, but Japanese-Australian artist Hiromi Tango is shining a light (literally) on its lesser-known significance as a site of women’s history this May and June.
Watch the Barracks become a canvas for larger-than-life projections showcasing the stories of the women who passed through the building that was once the Female Immigration Depot and Hyde Park Asylum from 1848 to 1887. Recorded voices offer deeply personal stories of hope, and a visual collage that appears after dark until 10pm gives passersby a peek into the Barracks’ archaeology including its rich collection of textiles and fabric fragments inside.
Being a Japanese immigrant, and now a resident of Northern NSW, Tango was inspired by the “voices of those who are often left out of history”. Watch as the site also transforms into the ‘Hope garden’ with large ‘hope flowers’ and a collaborative installation of upcycled textiles that will keep growing.
Hope is on until June 15 at the Hyde Park Barracks, projected nightly until 10pm. Visitors can check it out for free. Find out more info here. The Hyde Park Barracks museum is also open daily from 10am to 6pm with free entry and includes an immersive self-guided audio experience which takes about an hour and a half to complete.
