VICTORIA HEMPSTEAD

Project Name: Reminiscence

Location: RACV Club., 501 Bourke St, Melbourne, Victoria

Commissioner: RACV

Materials: Axolotl Ripple Stainless Steel, Ink, gloss polyurethane

Dimensions: 70300 x 3275mm

Conceptual artist Victoria Hempstead has created a 7-metre high stainless steel sculpture titled REMINISCENCE 2022 that will welcome Members and guests to the Club.

RACV City Club General Manager, Rob Everett, says Victoria Hempstead’s commission reinforces RACV’s commitment to supporting Australian artists.

“At RACV, we value the role art plays in connecting communities and encouraging creativity,” Mr Everett says.

“Victoria’s work is particularly important and a welcome addition to the foyer and main entry point of the RACV City Club.”

REMINISCENCE consists of 8 orbs depicting water crafted from stainless steel. Each pool glistens with its high polish mirror rippled finish, a metaphor for the reflective nature of water. These are partially overlayed with a red and burnt umber landscape, printed onto the stainless steel from photographs of Victoria’s abstract landscape sculptures.

The artist Victoria Hempstead explained how the RACV’s history of motoring and travel has inspired her work.

“In REMINISCENCE I wanted to highlight RACV’s history of touring and family leisure to explore how our journeys in motor vehicles tether us to waterscapes,” Ms Hempstead says.

“The movement of the water cutting through the landscape felt similar to the journeys taken in vehicles along roads.”