The future of the Bondi mural

10 August 2019

The Bondi sea wall mural painted by Luke Cornish was a temporary installation undertaken in conjunction with The Sea exhibition in the Bondi Pavilion Gallery as part of Council’s annual Bondi Winter Magic. This exhibition was approved by Waverley Council staff under Council’s curatorial processes. This process included an Expression of Interest (EoI) and a selection panel made up of staff and experts. Councillors were not involved in this selection process.

Luke Cornish is an internationally renowned artist and a finalist in both the Archibald and the Sulman prize. Artists who paint the Bondi Beach sea wall temporary murals do so at costs to themselves.

All Councillors were aware of these facts when a group of Councillors called for the mural to be urgently painted over.

I’m proud that the curatorial process was at arm’s length from all Councillors, myself included. The process I have put in place will see this non-political approach to the replacement of Luke Cornish’s mural continue. The now vandalised mural will be replaced after the completion of an EoI process run by Council staff.

If you are interested in the details of the debate at Council on Tuesday night (6 August 2019) you will find it here: https://www.facebook.com/john.wakefield.9883/posts/10220783909214061

- John Wakefield, Mayor of Waverley