'Comparative monument (Shellal)' - SM - 'The National'

Tom Nicholson

'Comparative monument (Shellal)' - SM - 'The National'

Tom Nicholson (Artist)

Department of Fine Art

Research output: Non-textual form › Commissioned or Visual Artwork › Other

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Sydney, NSW, Australia
Publisher	Art Gallery of New South Wales
Size	left channel 6:01 minutes, right channel 14:26 minutes
Publication status	Published - 2017
Event	The National 2017: New Australian Art - Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, Australia Duration: 30 Mar 2017 → 16 Jul 2017 https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/the-national-2017/

1 Commissioned or Visual Artwork

Comparative monument (Shellal)
Nicholson, T., 2016
Research output: Non-textual form › Commissioned or Visual Artwork › Research

1 Acquisition
1 Public lecture/debate/seminar
1 Public event

Panel: Situating practice
Anneke Jaspers (Host), Daniel Browning (Contributor), Agatha Gothe-Snape (Contributor), Helen Hughes (Contributor) & Tom Nicholson (Contributor)
30 Mar 2017
Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
Acquisition: 'Comparative monument (Shellal)'
Tom Nicholson (Producer)
2017 → …
Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Acquisition
ONLINE VIDEO: 'Tom Nicholson: The National: New Australian Art'
Tom Nicholson (Contributor)
2017 → …
Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event

ADELAIDE REVIEW: 'Exploring the National Lottery of Australian Art'
Tom Nicholson
8/06/17
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
ARTIST PROFILE: 'The National'
Tom Nicholson
7/06/17
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
FRIEZE: 'The National 2017: New Australian Art'
Tom Nicholson
27/05/17
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature

Cite this

@misc{1a33ff65c3114e188abf0a9a6dff99f5,

title = "'Comparative monument (Shellal)' - SM - 'The National'",

author = "Tom Nicholson",

note = "glass tesserae mosaics, wooden boxes 2-channel digital video, high definition, colour, sound, left channel 6:01 minutes, right channel 14:26 minutes duration: 00:6:01 min left channel, 00:13:39 min right channel, aspect ratio: 16:9, display dimensions variable : a - mosaic 1; 72.6 x 75 x 10 cm b - mosaic 2; 72.4 x 74.4 x 10 cm c - mosaic 3; 73 x 72 x 10 cm d - mosaic 4; 75.4 x 81 x 10 cm e - mosaic 5; 75 x 79.6 x 10 cm f - mosaic 6; 73.4 x 73.4 x 10 cm g - mosaic 7; 75 x 77.4 x 10 cm h - mosaic 8; 73 x 75 x 10 cm i - mosaic 9; 79 x 76 x 10 cm j - mosaic 10; 75.5 x 81 x 10 cm k - mosaic 11; 76 x 74 x 10 cm l - mosaic 12; 72.5 x 74.5 x 10 cm m - mosaic 13; 75 x 79.5 x 10 cm n - mosaic 14; 75 x 79.5 x 10 cm o - mosaic 15; 75 x 79.5 x 10 cm p - empty box 1; 135 x 71 x 10 cm p2-p7; 79 x 71 x 10 cm p8-p14; 73 x 78 x 10 cm p15 - empty box 15; 76 x 71 x 10 cm p16-p21; 76 x 78 x 10 cm p22-p26; 80 x 74 x 10 cm p27-p28; 81 x 72 x 10 cm p29 - empty box 29; 85 x 72 x 10 cm p30 - empty box 30; 76 x 75 x 10 cm p31-34; 75 x 73 x 10 cm Tom Nicholson often works with historical material to propose new commemorative forms. 'Comparative monument (Shellal)' is the third in a series exploring historical links and contemporary resonances between Australia and Israel/Palestine. The work draws on the complex history of the 6th-century Shellal mosaic, which was uncovered in Palestine by Australian soldiers in 1917 and brought to Canberra. Eventually the mosaic was built into the architecture of the Australian War Memorial (AWM), where it remains. As an act of speculative repatriation, Nicholson has reconstituted the surviving fragments as though using tiles from the vast dome mosaic by Napier Waller in the AWM's Hall of Memory. Crated in readiness for its return, 'Comparative monument (Shellal)' invokes the contested sovereignty of the site the original mosaic was taken from. Historically this was located within the territory of Palestine; now it is part of Israel. Today, this desert hilltop offers a view towards Gaza City in one direction and the Israeli city of Bir Sab'a/Be'er Sheva/Beersheba in the other. Nicholson imagines his repatriated mosaic as a platform for this view, which uniquely links the two cities and implies a future alternative to the present.; The National 2017: New Australian Art ; Conference date: 30-03-2017 Through 16-07-2017",

year = "2017",

language = "English",

publisher = "Art Gallery of New South Wales",

address = "Australia",

url = "https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/the-national-2017/",

}

TY - ADVS

T1 - 'Comparative monument (Shellal)' - SM - 'The National'

A2 - Nicholson, Tom

N1 - glass tesserae mosaics, wooden boxes 2-channel digital video, high definition, colour, sound, left channel 6:01 minutes, right channel 14:26 minutes duration: 00:6:01 min left channel, 00:13:39 min right channel, aspect ratio: 16:9, display dimensions variable : a - mosaic 1; 72.6 x 75 x 10 cm b - mosaic 2; 72.4 x 74.4 x 10 cm c - mosaic 3; 73 x 72 x 10 cm d - mosaic 4; 75.4 x 81 x 10 cm e - mosaic 5; 75 x 79.6 x 10 cm f - mosaic 6; 73.4 x 73.4 x 10 cm g - mosaic 7; 75 x 77.4 x 10 cm h - mosaic 8; 73 x 75 x 10 cm i - mosaic 9; 79 x 76 x 10 cm j - mosaic 10; 75.5 x 81 x 10 cm k - mosaic 11; 76 x 74 x 10 cm l - mosaic 12; 72.5 x 74.5 x 10 cm m - mosaic 13; 75 x 79.5 x 10 cm n - mosaic 14; 75 x 79.5 x 10 cm o - mosaic 15; 75 x 79.5 x 10 cm p - empty box 1; 135 x 71 x 10 cm p2-p7; 79 x 71 x 10 cm p8-p14; 73 x 78 x 10 cm p15 - empty box 15; 76 x 71 x 10 cm p16-p21; 76 x 78 x 10 cm p22-p26; 80 x 74 x 10 cm p27-p28; 81 x 72 x 10 cm p29 - empty box 29; 85 x 72 x 10 cm p30 - empty box 30; 76 x 75 x 10 cm p31-34; 75 x 73 x 10 cm Tom Nicholson often works with historical material to propose new commemorative forms. 'Comparative monument (Shellal)' is the third in a series exploring historical links and contemporary resonances between Australia and Israel/Palestine. The work draws on the complex history of the 6th-century Shellal mosaic, which was uncovered in Palestine by Australian soldiers in 1917 and brought to Canberra. Eventually the mosaic was built into the architecture of the Australian War Memorial (AWM), where it remains. As an act of speculative repatriation, Nicholson has reconstituted the surviving fragments as though using tiles from the vast dome mosaic by Napier Waller in the AWM's Hall of Memory. Crated in readiness for its return, 'Comparative monument (Shellal)' invokes the contested sovereignty of the site the original mosaic was taken from. Historically this was located within the territory of Palestine; now it is part of Israel. Today, this desert hilltop offers a view towards Gaza City in one direction and the Israeli city of Bir Sab'a/Be'er Sheva/Beersheba in the other. Nicholson imagines his repatriated mosaic as a platform for this view, which uniquely links the two cities and implies a future alternative to the present.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

M3 - Commissioned or Visual Artwork

PB - Art Gallery of New South Wales

CY - Sydney, NSW, Australia

T2 - The National 2017: New Australian Art

Y2 - 30 March 2017 through 16 July 2017

ER -

'Comparative monument (Shellal)' - SM - 'The National'

Research output

Comparative monument (Shellal)

Activities

Panel: Situating practice

Acquisition: 'Comparative monument (Shellal)'

ONLINE VIDEO: 'Tom Nicholson: The National: New Australian Art'

Press/Media

ADELAIDE REVIEW: 'Exploring the National Lottery of Australian Art'

ARTIST PROFILE: 'The National'

FRIEZE: 'The National 2017: New Australian Art'

Cite this