lost property
As I walk past the Quadrangle every morning, despite the now-manicured lawns, memories of the encampment linger in my mind. Seas of blue tarp, water-damaged signs, tent posts sunk in the mud, echoes of laughter and wafts of shisha from the alcove; memories of the people who remained resilient through it all. Patchworks of souvenirs stitched into the fabrics of my mind.
‘lost property’ incorporates scraps of a sleeping bag that I have then machine-embroidered onto. As my sleeping bag was taken by security for a time, I cannot be certain that the scraps are mine. I designed and materialised this piece using open-source software and access to USYD’s one shared embroidery machine.
The works of Harriette Bryant have inspired this piece. Her use of ornate materials to contrast violent lived realities is replicated through the picture frame. Here, the lived reality of activism and the colonial institution, juxtapose each other, forcing both into view at once. Whilst the sandstone pillars continue to stand at the centre of campus, so too does the resistance and solidarity of First Nations people here, and beyond.
Designed by Sophie Wishart