Discover 6 of Sydney’s best hidden public artworks

You might miss these if you’re not looking closely

The Distance of Your Heart by Tracey Emin (2018)

Birds are perched on buildings all around the city, but look carefully and you might find some that don’t fly away. Renowned British artist Tracey Emin has placed more than 60 bronze birds throughout the city centre. The artwork is called The Distance of Your Heart and is a reflection on feeling homesick.

To express the tenderness of this emotion, the artist juxtaposes the tiny figures of the bronze birds against the tall, concrete buildings in the city. They’re so small you won’t notice them immediately, but the search will have you seeing mundane places differently. The birds perch on poles, above doorways and on awnings along Bridge Street, from Macquarie to Grosvenor streets and Lang Park.
Lamp for Mary by Mikala Dwyer (2011)

At once a functional object and a vigil, Lamp for Mary was created to illuminate a dark lane in Surry Hills and serve as a memorial for a queer woman who survived being beaten and raped in this place. In 1996, a woman named Mary was violently attacked for her sexuality. She survived and later found out that people in nearby buildings heard the attack but didn’t act.

The community reacted in outrage and came together to reclaim the space by establishing a memorial to victims of sexual violence. This memorial was later recommissioned and reimagined in Mikala Dwyer’s work.
Village Voices by Astra Howard (2016)

Inspired by giant lettered billboards seen outside cinemas or churches, Village Voices doesn’t sound like the type of work that would be hidden. But, situated down a narrow laneway in Surry Hills, between the southern end of Crown Street and Wilshire Street, it’s easy to pass it by.

The artwork captures local stories and forgotten histories in poetry or prose. Artist Astra Howard, who worked for many years in crisis homelessness services, gives locals a chance to tell their stories.
Dual Nature by Nigel Helyer (1999)

Take a moment to explore the foreshore below Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool and you’ll find a group of sculptural forms.

The sculptures connect with the natural and maritime history of this Woolloomooloo spot, while hidden solar-powered audio systems broadcast a soundscape. With voice fragments and natural history sounds, this creates an atmosphere where the foreshore appears to recall its past.
Circle/s in the Round for (Miles and Miles +1) by Newell Harry (2010)

Giant neon circles are generally hard to miss. But you may have overlooked this particular ode to jazz great Miles Davis, tucked down Temperance Lane, off George Street.

Newell Harry’s Circle/s in the Round for (Miles and Miles +1) is a vibrant neon wall sculpture. Running beneath the coloured circles is text reading, and mirroring, NEVERODDOREVEN. Inspired by Miles Davis’ 1967 Circle in the Round recording, the work lights up the end of the dark alley.
Watling Tree by Caroline Rothwell (2012)

Blink and you’ll miss Caroline Rothwell’s etched steel panels attached to six sets of doors set in alcoves along Albion Place.

Watling Tree is based on the iconic tree depicted in Thomas Watling’s drawings of the area from the late 1700s. The tree, which native to the area, has been reimagined many times. Rothwell’s artwork reinstalls the historical image of the tree in a contemporary medium.