Arabic version: افتتاح معرض «ذا تيرنينغ» لإس ديفلين في باورهاوس باراماتا

According to ABC News, British artist and set designer Es Devlin will present her first exhibition in Australia as Powerhouse Parramatta opens to the public on Saturday. The Turning brings together five large-scale immersive installations, inviting visitors to participate through drawing and reflection.

At the centre of the exhibition is an encounter in which visitors are asked to sit opposite a stranger for 15 minutes without speaking, then leave a trace of the meeting in a drawing. Devlin described the exercise as the “heart” of the exhibition, saying the works are not complete until audiences arrive and take part.

Devlin began her career in theatre before expanding into concerts, fashion shows and installations. Her work has included two Olympic ceremonies, a Super Bowl half-time show and world tours for artists including Adele, Beyonce, The Weeknd and U2. She and her team spent the days after arriving in Sydney adjusting projections, lighting and sound for the Parramatta presentation.

All installations in The Turning were made in Australia with local workers and materials. Several works have been adapted for their location. In Forest of Us, a multi-level mirrored labyrinth modelled on human lungs, reflective surfaces ripple slightly. Memory Palace includes models of historically significant places, including The Block in Redfern and Madjebebe, a sandstone rock shelter in Arnhem Land.

Other works include Screen Share, where choreography is projected onto hundreds of sketchbooks containing Devlin’s drawings and visitors may tear off a page at the end. Outside the museum, Redraw the Edges of Yourself features 244 hand-drawn studies of endangered local flora and fauna. Devlin said she hopes visitors will pause, engage with their surroundings and remember what they experience.