MAREE CLARKE & MITCH MAHONEY | FOOTSCRAY HOSPITAL TAPESTRY

In 2O25, visitors to the new $1.5 billion Footscray Hospital will be welcomed by a large three-dimensional tapestry designed by Maree Clarke (Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung) and Mitch Mahoney (Boonwurrung/Barkindji) that spans two levels inside the main entrance.

The tapestry design is inspired by microscopic images of river reeds from the Maribyrnong River and skeletal drawings of local native flora and fauna, and will greet the public and staff with a striking visual connection to the local landscape.

“The integration of art into the hospital design serves not only to complement the architectural aspects but also to foster calmness and cultural safety in a hospital environment that can often be stressful for patients and family.” Plenary Health New Footscray Hospital Project Chair, Kelvyn Lavelle

Working closely with master weavers from the Australian Tapestry Workshop, the artwork will be transformed into a three-dimensional tapestry spanning 4.2 x 1O metres, making it one of the largest tapestries ever produced for a public hospital in Victoria.

Welcome to Country – now you see me: seeing the invisible will be woven over the next 12 months by a team of weavers including Chris Cochius, Amy Cornall, Leonie Bessant, Saffron Gordon, Tim Gresham, Pamela Joyce, David Pearce and Emma Sulzer.

The tapestry is a collaboration between Plenary Health, the official arts partner for the new hospital, Footscray Community Arts, the Australian Tapestry Workshop, and the Tapestry Foundation of Australia, in collaboration with the Victorian Health Building Authority and Western Health.

Image: Maree Clarke and Mitch Mahoney, Welcome to Country – now you see me: seeing the invisible 2024, woven by Chris Cochius, Amy Cornall, Leonie Bessant, Saffron Gordon, Tim Gresham, Pamela Joyce, David Pearce, Emma Sulzer, wool and cotton, 4.2 x 1Om.