This Given Moment & The Garden of Hopes and Dreams is an exhibition of contemporary art informed by of ideas of mindfulness to offer calm and contemplation to visitors. Together, these spaces encourage us to step gently, with kindness, light, and well-wishes alongside all those around us.

"We are not the masters of the world, we are not immortal; we are, as we always have been, like leaves in the autumn wind… this short life, despite everything, seems beautiful to us, now more than ever." - Carlo Rovelli from the essay This Short Life Feels Beautiful to Us, Now More than Ever, 2020[1] 

Amidst the noise of global issues — from pandemics and climate change to political unrest and social upheavals — it becomes increasingly crucial to find moments of stillness. In response to such issues, these exhibitions are declared as spaces of awareness and gratitude, inviting us to consider our place in the world, offer a moment of pause, and, most importantly, reflect on our connection to one another.

Visitors to the exhibition are encouraged to spend time engaging in a simple art-making activity and reflection exercise as the start to their visit. Art, both through careful looking and making carves a space for contemplation. After spending time with This Given Moment and the Garden of Hopes and Dreams, we hope you find yourself refreshed and restored.

Featuring artists Fiona Lowry, Giles Alexander, Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler, Tully Arnot, Alesandro Ljubicic and Grant Stevens.

Image: Grant Stevens, Horizon of Happiness, 2023, production still, courtesy the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf, Sydney

This Given Moment and the Garden of Hopes and Dreams run from 28 September – 3 November 2024