At 2pm yesterday, I coated half a dozen free range chicken marylands (thigh + drumstick portions) in a packaged curry paste…
This is our current favourite brand, as recommended by my cousins in Malaysia. You could certainly grind all the spices from scratch, but we had a free afternoon and were keen to get out of the house…
I put all the chicken, a few peeled and chopped potatoes, half a litre of water and a carton of coconut cream into my presoaked Römertopf pot and covered it with the lid. The pot went into a cold oven and the heat was turned up to 200C with fan. I set the timer and asked Big Boy to turn the oven down to 150C with fan after the first hour…
Then Pete and I hopped on a train to Central Station. The weather was sunny but cool, a perfect autumnal day to be outside. From Central, we took an easy walk to the Mortuary Station to visit the Biennale of Sydney’s Embassy of Transition.
The Mortuary Station is an elegant and intriguing part of Sydney history. It was originally built as part of the train line connecting Rookwood, Woronora and Sandgate Cemeteries. The line is no longer in use, but the station continues to be maintained by Sydney Trains and is open to the public for special events. Apart from the artworks, it was a treat in itself to be able to visit this historic building!
The platform of the station is the ideal backdrop for Spiral Incense Mantra (2014) by Taiwanese artist Charwei Tsai. Encompassing three separate elements, this beautiful installation invites contemplation of life, death and dying.
The artwork comprises a series of hanging incense bells which are randomly lit. The bells have been inscribed with sacred Buddhist texts by the artist and the monks who collaborated with her. Originally all the same size, over the course of the Biennale, each has burned down at a different rate, influenced by location, wind, and frequency of lighting.
It’s unsubtle but powerful imagery, which combines with the architecture and history of the building, the stillness of the location, and the gentle wafting aroma of the incense, to create a very moving experience…
Each piece was created in a flat form, then hung by the artist…
As the bell burns away, it leaves behind small piles of ash…
Two videos accompany the incense mantras, screened on the floors of the station’s waiting rooms. The third element incorporates a section of track adjacent to the platform, which the artist has filled with pieces of bark inscribed with messages…
From the Mortuary, we walked to the Redfern Wall, where What Remains (2016), a site specific installation by indigenous Australian artist Daniel Boyd, glistened in the late afternoon sun. I’d loved this in its previous incarnation at the MCA, but it’s truly spectacular here, where it can catch and reflect the outdoor light. I feel blessed to have had a second chance to see it…
The piece wraps all the way around the corner…
Pete liked the way the mirrored disks caught the silhouette of the large maple tree…
After lingering for a while to watch the light moving over the shiny dots, we wandered up to Redfern Station and caught the express train home. And when we arrived, it was just about time to pull the curry out of the oven…
It was a glorious way to spend an afternoon in Sydney!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 