Permanent Palimpsest
Permanent Palimpses illuminates the rich history of Bundoora Homestead and parklands; formerly Bundoora Convalescent Farm, Bundoora Park Repatriation Hospital and Day Centre, and Mont Park Repatriation Mental Hospital. A tactile fabric tapestry, hand-sewn with archival photographs, locally sourced beads, and found textiles, captures and reflects upon idiosyncratic stories, notes and sections of a century of the building’s evolution.
On these grounds in the 1950s, an aviary of 100 birds was set up for the enjoyment of the residents. Elderly patients were engaged in soaking stamps from envelopes and making simple toys during the 1960s. In the late 70s women were first allowed to work on the grounds.
These anecdotes are used to consider the hospital's transformation from its inception as a refuge for the mentally unwell in the early 20th century to its later role in rehabilitation as a repatriation facility and current function as a cultural hub, gallery and meeting place. Historical imagery intermingles with contemporary photographs, inviting reflection on shifting societal attitudes towards labour and mental health care that sit within the complex legacy of the area.
The work is a meditation on the past that considers broader narratives of institutionalisation and rehabilitation amidst the banality of daily life and work. Through its tactile nature, and the layering of imagery with physical objects, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with the enduring echoes of our shared local history.
Artist biography
Grace Wood is a multidisciplinary artist from Naarm, Australia, creating image-based installations that utilise collage, photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture to interrogate the status of contemporary photography. Since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts with a BFA (Honours) in 2014, she has exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions and her work is held in public and private collections across Australia.
Recent exhibitions include Built Photography, Museum of Australian Photography 2024; Soft Bodies, LON Gallery, PHOTO 2024; Slide, Melbourne Now, NGV 2023; Spring 1883, The Hotel Windsor 2023; The Sun at Midnight, The Hellenic Museum 2022; Thirsty, LON Gallery 2022.
Image credit: Grace Wood, Permanent palimpsest (detail) 2024.