When you’re strolling the streets of Sydney, have you noticed all the epic artwork on show? There are tucked-away laneway installations, along with hard-to-miss monumental murals and utilitarian sculptures in city hotspots. Sydney’s street art is actively supported with council initiatives and art festivals that encourage temporary artwork installations. In fact, Sydney has been hailed as one of the top 10 best street art cities in the world in recent years. From adding interactive sculptures to wide open spaces or telling a story with a meaningful mural, check out the art that defines Sydney’s sense of place.
1 Forgotten Songs, Angel Place
‘Forgotten Songs’, a canopy of delicate bird cages suspended above Angel Place, is a permanent sound art installation in the city. Simulated bird calls filter down — with daytime bird laments silencing at sunset to be replaced by nocturnal bird noises. The artwork by Michael Thomas Hill was originally part of the 2009 Sydney Laneway Temporary art scheme. It commemorates a melancholy facet of our history — the songs of 50 birds once heard in Central Sydney, before they were gradually forced out by European settlement.
2 Newtown
In 1991, when artists Andrew Aiken and Juilee Pryor defied council to paint the now infamous ‘I Have a Dream’ mural in Newtown’s King Street, this bohemian precinct has become a hub for freehand sprays and acrylics. Newtown is a compact, walkable suburb, perfect for a weekend art, food and coffee trail. Begin in bustling King Street to admire ‘I Have a Dream’, then don’t miss: ‘A Rising Tide’, King Street; ‘Block Party’, Albemarle Street; ‘Tributary’, Dickson Street, and ‘Promise’ in Lennox Street.
3 Inner West Street Art Murals
The Inner West Council’s program Perfect Match brings together property owners with blank walls and ready-to-paint artists. Properties and businesses across Ashfield, Marrickville, Balmain and beyond, have enjoyed the creative process with established and emerging artists. Check out the online art gallery of commissioned work here to plan your art trail. A quirky piece with plenty of movement is ‘The Commute’ by Sid Tapia in Surrey St, Stanmore, and a serene black and white mural, ‘On the Way to Where I Was Going’ is worth seeking out in Camperdown.
4 Bondi Beach Sea Wall
The brightly coloured sea wall at Bondi snakes along the beachfront promenade — creating a lovely stroll with murals on one side and iconic Bondi beach on the other. This eye-catching outdoor gallery has been engaging visitors since the 1970s. The Bondi wall has showcased artwork by some of the world’s best street artists, with diverse techniques and genres ranging from stencils to love notes and freehand graffiti. While the wall is ever-changing, two artworks are here to stay: ‘The Girl with a Frangipani in Her Hair’, and the Anzac commemorative mural.
5 Almost Once, Woolloomooloo
As Sydney locals drive along the Cahill Expressway, they will likely give a familiar glance to the unique eight-metre sculpture nicknamed ‘The Big Matchsticks’. The duo of mammoth matches — one unlit matchstick and one charred — is artist Brett Whiteley’s most iconic outdoor sculpture, technically titled ‘Almost Once’. Whiteley created it with his assistant Matthew Dillon, and gifted it to the Art Gallery of NSW in 1991. Symbolising change, energy, burnout and transformation, it even has its own Google Maps pin.
6 Interloop, Wynyard Train Station
Public artworks not only transform ordinary community spaces but often tell a story by nodding to the past. Interloop does just that! It’s a bold and gleaming symbol of Sydney’s future, threaded with history. When the heritage Sydney station of Wynyard was refurbished in 2017, artist Chris Fox reused and reimagined the old 1931 escalator treads that were to be replaced. He fashioned an incredible installation above the new escalators at York Street so as commuters gaze up as they travel the escalator, they see a delicate but mechanical creature twisting into accordion-like loops.
7 Village Voices, Surry Hills
An intriguing piece of laneway art is Village Voices, nestled between Crown and Wiltshire Streets in Surry Hills. Promoting self-expression and a sense of belonging, it’s a big, bold changeable community sign — just like the ones you see outside churches and schools. The changing letters and words tell local stories through prose and poems in six lines. The wording is taken from anonymous submissions from a drop box in Surry Hills Community Centre — anyone is welcome to deliver a note.
8 Storm Waters, Zetland
In an inviting green space in Zetland, the movement of sparkling water beckons visitors to relax and play. The interactive art installation titled ‘Storm Waters’, is a subtle nod to the park’s wetland origins. It’s made up of dual sets of concrete stairs inlaid into the sloping banks either side of Joynton Park, with recycled and purified stormwater flowing gently down the stairs. Positioned at a precise angle, the flow is gently guided sideways, causing the water to diagonally cascade in an unexpected display.
9 Secret World of a Starlight Ember, Circular Quay
A glittering oversized and elevated oval at the entrance of the Museum of Contemporary Art catches the eye. Designed by renowned Byron Bay-based artist Lindy Lee, she aimed to use light and shape to convey the finite nature of life, and the ripple effect that reaches beyond us. ‘Secret World of a Starlight Ember’ is a shimmering stainless-steel elliptical sculpture with thousands of delicate perforations that absorb, reflect and shift the light as the day unfolds. During daylight hours, take a peek at how it frames the Sydney Opera House. By night, be dazzled by the miniature constellation as it lights up within.
10 In Between Two Worlds, Haymarket
Pedestrians strolling down laneways in the heart of Chinatown, will be entranced by a world of blue-tinged clouds and spirit figures. A permanent laneway artwork by Sydney artist Jason Wing, ‘In Between Two Worlds’ is threaded along Little Hay Street, Factory Street and Kimber Lane in Haymarket. The pale blue clouds represent heaven, while the spirit figures, which glow blue at nightfall, represent the journey between heaven and earth. This intriguing mural and installation invites pedestrians to ‘step into’ the art and become part of its whimsical journey.
