Polyester, nylon, zinc-plated alloy
456 × 228cm and 228 × 228cm (flags);
2000 × 1700cm (stainless steel frame)
T1 Marketplace, International Terminal, Sydney Airport
Joint venture of Sydney Airport and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Commissioner Sydney Airport
CuratorBarbara Flynn, Art Advisor
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Moore won the competition with the proposal to reconfigure the work United Neytions on a monumental scale for permanent installation (25 years) at Sydney Airport. United Neytions was first created by Moore for the exhibition The National 2017: New Australian Art. This new iteration of the work would be created especially for Sydney Airport. The panel concluded that the work would engage with the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia and speak broadly to themes of boundaries, identity and inter-cultural understanding. Of undeniable local significance, the work would operate universally and be of meaning to everyone who passes through Sydney Airport. It would not require any prior cultural knowledge.
The 28 flags of various designs that comprise the work were constructed from a combination of commercial quality 100% Polyester Bunting and Trilobal fabrics in variety of colours, with designs appliqued by machine stitch polyester threads in a traditional flag construction by the company Flags for all Nations, based in Queensland. The completed flags were treated with Microseal and Inspecta-Shield Fire Retardant to further reduce the effects of UV light and fire.
Heights Heritage Conservation coordinated the treatment of the flags after creation through to installation. After fabrication, the flags were packed in boxes and transported to the studio of Heights Heritage Conservation in Sydney, where they were treated with Microseal and Inspecta-Shield Fire Retardant before being steamed and pressed to remove any residual creasing, rolled and labelled for transport and installation.
The flag set out by Matthew Bennett of architects Bennett and Trimble codified the artist’s instructions and was provided to the artist team on 6 April 2018 and the structural package and structural certification by KPH Consulting (Douglas Knox) followed on 10 April 2018.
The artwork location is the T1 Marketplace, a food court on the departures side of security near gate 30. Installation on the site had to be undertaken in a compressed time frame at night to accord with Sydney Airport security and operations protocols.
Prior to the flags being taken on site the primary frame was attached to the ceiling of the site location approximately 7 meters above floor level. The six horizontal bars of the primary frame were fitted with fixtures to hang the flags in the pattern artist’s designated order. Once on site, the flag poles were first inserted into the pole sleeves and then attached with specially designed stainless-steel fixtures. A boom lift was used to lift two people and two rolled flags at a time to the primary frame. The flags were attached to the primary frame using two carabiner clips per flag to connect the fixtures on the poles to the fixtures on the primary frame. One at a time, the flags were then slowly unfurled and the roll removed.
The installation of the flags commenced the night of 24 July and continued to 7 August 2018. The flags were attached as the last step on 7 August 2018.