11 Jun 2025

MCA Australia presents Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Australia) presents Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible, from 6 June to 19 October 2025, the first comprehensive museum exhibition of the artist's work in the Asia-Pacific region. Attesting to Wyn Evans' enduring engagement with the possibilities of sculpture, the exhibition

includes a significant selection of major light and sound works never before seen in Australia, in addition to site-specific works engaging with the natural environment of Warrane (Sydney Harbour).

Cerith Wyn Evans is one of today’s most significant contemporary artists. His sculptures and installations explore the relationships between language and space, time and perception, thought and meaning. Distilling ideas into forms, his art is underpinned by his deep interests in music, literature, philosophy and art history. What emerges are experimental and exuberant environments of light and sound.

Conceived as if visitors were strolling through a garden – long a source of inspiration for the artist – Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible invites visitors to contemplate their own passage through space and time.

The exhibition includes a significant selection of major works produced over the past 15 years. Highlights include the award-winning sculpture Composition for 37 Flutes (2018), in which 37 glass pipes ‘inhale’ and breathe sound into the gallery, and the monumental work F=O=U=N=T=A=I=N (2020), an architectural wall of white neon, three metres high and ten metres wide, which audiences are welcome to walk around and through.

The exhibition also presents key works from Wyn Evans’ celebrated series Neon Forms (after Noh) (2015 – ongoing), large-scale ‘drawings in space’ using neon light. These gestural forms are complemented by works from the series StarStarStar/Steer (2019), ...take Apprentice in the Sun (2020), and phase shifts (after David Tudor) (2023), creating a garden of light and sound in the MCA’s galleries.

For MCA Australia, the artist has created several site-specific works engaging with the light, soundscapes and natural environment of Warrane (Sydney Harbour). The exhibition presents Still Life (In course of arrangement…) (2025), featuring native plants, and the major neon light installation Sydney Drift (2025). The distinctive sounds of the precinct resonate through MCA Australia’s galleries in the work Two Gravity Gongs (2025), while the artist’s acclaimed neon works are illuminated by the natural light of Circular Quay, subtly shifting as light patterns evolve throughout the day and over the course of the exhibition.

Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible is curated by MCA Australia’s Director of Curatorial & Digital, Lara Strongman and Assistant Curator, Antares Wells. The exhibition is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Director, Suzanne Cotter said, 'MCA Australia has a long history of creating memorable encounters with the art of our time and introducing to the public in Australia the work of some of the world’s most important living artists. Cerith Wyn Evans is part of that rich and continuing history. His exhibition created for the MCA and its unique context on the shores of Warrane/Sydney Harbour is a polyphonic immersion into a world of light, sound and pure poetry which will amaze and enchant visitors and remain in their minds and bodies for many years to come.'

NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper, said ‘I’m thrilled to have one of the world’s foremost contemporary artists exhibiting his works in Sydney – Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible is a highlight of the NSW major events calendar this winter. Our government is proud to support exhibitions like this that enhance Sydney’s reputation as a global hub for the arts, where locals and visitors can enjoy the most inspiring cultural experiences and engage in international art conversation.’

Public Programs

As part of Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible, MCA Australia welcomes audiences of all ages to participate this winter in a range of public programs – including musical performances, morning tai chi and guided walking tours.

Curator Tours

Join an exhibition curator on a tour of Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible to gain insight into key works.
Sunday 6 July 2025: Antares Wells, Assistant Curator
Sunday 28 September 2025: Lara Strongman, Director, Curatorial & Digital

VIVID Sydney Experience: After-Dark Curator Talks

Take in elevated panoramic views of Vivid Sydney’s light displays across the Harbour with a specially crafted menu in Canvas restaurant, or casual drinks on the Sculpture Terrace.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience key works in Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible, alongside after-dark curator talks by Lara Strongman, Director, Curatorial & Digital, and Antares Wells, Assistant Curator.
Friday 13 June 2025: Antares Wells, Assistant Curator

Music and movement

Experience a series of sonic and dance improvisations unfolding throughout the Museum. Drawing on Cerith Wyn Evans’ luminous sculptures, these performances feature dynamic movement by The Catchment Dance Collective and soundscapes by musicians from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, resonating from the foyer into the galleries.

Saturday 7 June 2025, 12 – 12.30pm Sunday 13 July 2025, 12 – 12.30pm Sunday 14 September 2025, 12 – 12.30pm Sunday 12 October 2025, 12 – 12.30pm

Winter walks: City pathways

Cerith Wyn Evans’ work encourages us to look at the world from multiple perspectives. Take time out for a stroll through the city guided by artist educator Cameron Stead, listening to and observing shifts of light and sound in places Wyn Evans recorded for the exhibition.

Saturday 19 July 2025, 1.30pm pm & 3.30pm

Saturday 23 August 2025 ,11am & 1pm

Morning flow: Tai Chi on the Sculpture Terrace

Wake up with Warrane (Sydney Harbour). Focusing on the ideas of movement and passages of time and space present in Cerith Wyn Evans’ work, start the morning with a guided Tai Chi session with Grandmaster Gari Khor from the Australian Academy of Tai Chi. Finish off with light refreshments at the MCA Cafe at Tallawoldah, before taking the time to view our major winter exhibition.

Sunday 12 October 2025, 9am

Publication

Published on the occasion of the artist’s first major solo exhibition in Australia, Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible is richly illustrated with installation views taken inside the Museum of Contemporary Art’s waterfront galleries, as well as contextual photographs made by the artist himself on his smartphone. It includes new writing by exhibition curator Lara Strongman, MCA Director Suzanne Cotter, MCA Assistant Curator Antares Wells and Tokyo-based editor and writer Andrew Maerkle, as well as an interview with the acclaimed artist. Designed by London-based graphic designer Mathias Clottu, Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible captures Wyn Evans’ response to place and light in Sydney, and considers some of his ongoing interests, including gardens, language, Japan, music, time and perception. RRP $60

The exhibition is free to MCA members, Australian tertiary students and youth under 18s. Tickets are available to purchase from mca.com.au.

Cerith Wyn Evans …. in light of the visible, is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia's major winter exhibition and runs from 6 June to 19 October 2025.

Media Enquiries

For media enquiries or further information, please contact Charlotte Greig, MCA Australia PR Manager, Email: Charlotte.greig@mca.com.au | Mobile: + 61 404 111 919.

About Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Australia)

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Australia) presents, collects and engages with the art of our time. Guided by the principles of belonging, connection and influence, we aim to be the defining platform for contemporary art and ideas in Australia and beyond. Located on Sydney Harbour at Tallawoladah, a home to stories, art and culture for over 65,000 years, we connect the widest possible public to contemporary art through exhibitions, events, creative learning and access programs. Our evolving Collection of over 4,700 artworks is the only public collection in Australia dedicated to the work of living artists, with over a third represented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, MCA Australia raises 85% of its revenue each year through donations and commercial activities to deliver its artistic and engagement programs. www.mca.com.au