We are thrilled to announce the unveiling of Joshua Yeldham's major site-specific installation, 'Surrender Room', commissioned for permanent display within the new extension at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), Hobart, Tasmania.
Described by MONA Director David Walsh as a “masterpiece,” the work is embedded deep within the museum's subterranean galleries. This monumental installation is a profound distillation of Yeldham’s multi-disciplinary practice, seamlessly weaving together kinetic musical sculptures and hand-carved paintings on board into an awe-inspiring, theatrical experience that explores the deeply personal journey to establish their family.
The installation begins in the halls of the underground galleries, where the resonant vibrations of kangaroo-skin drums arise in a deep, esoteric beat. The early stages of conception, life and nature lead you into the installation where four figures depicting Yeldham, his wife Jo, daughter Indigo, and son Jude sit amongst an enthralling depiction of the landscape at Pittwater.
Hand-painted and deeply carved on board, these figures are intricately connected by the driving rhythm of drums, plucked bespoke string instruments, and singing bowls. Yeldham invites viewers directly into his private world, sharing the raw and tender story of how his family came to be, touching on their struggles with fertility and IVF, and revealing his enduring spiritual connection to owls.
There is a beautiful essay that accompanies the work written by Indigo Yeldham, Joshua's daughter whose life is woven into these works. Her unique perspective on her father's art practice and story provides new insight into his work and is an important written record.
Between us stretches more than two decades of a mythology he has created compressed into paint, mechanics and sound. At the centre, an owl holds an embryo in its talons. To one side, my mother sits astride a double-headed horse with an Edwardian clock embedded in her womb. A snake coils nearby. My younger brother stands by a tree stump with an owlet on his arm and singing bowls at his feet. And here, at the far edge, I hold a ladder that reaches upwards towards a kangaroo skin drum that beats overhead. The installation plays itself. Guitars strum in the belly of its figures. A spinning wheel with brass bells adorns the horse’s bridle. Each sound finds its place within the melody of the clock inside my mother’s womb. — Indigo Yeldham
The artwork and installation is now open to the public at The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania and we strongly encourage you to visit this incredible installation.
