White Rabbit Gallery, ChippendaleCredit: Destination NSW
Couple viewing an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale, Sydney.
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Sydney-based art curator Aarna Fitzgerald Hanley has specialised in commissioning site-specific works over the last decade, including supporting renowned curator Barbara Flynn to realise large-scale commissions in Sydney’s public domain. Now senior curator of visual arts at urban cultural precinct Carriageworks in Eveleigh, Hanley’s recent projects include co-curating the 2023 edition of The National: Australian Art Now, a biennial survey of contemporary Australian art exhibited at Carriageworks, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Campbelltown Arts Centre. Here, Hanley shares her top places to dive into Sydney’s arts and culture scenes.
Drop into Carriageworks
“I would always come to Carriageworks even before I began working here,” says Hanley of the multi-arts venue housed in the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops in the inner-city suburb of Eveleigh, between Redfern and Newtown. “This old industrial railyard is a unique site for artists and performers to respond to, but it also hosts cultural events like the Sydney Writers’ Festival, alongside the weekly Saturday Farmers Market, which all happens in the same precinct.”
Experience big hitters anew
“The new Sydney Modern project at the Art Gallery of New South Wales is an exciting addition to what is happening in Sydney,” says Hanley of the recent opening of the extension of the city’s landmark gallery next to the Royal Botanic Garden in central Sydney. “It’s a beautiful, porous building, and I’m excited to see how the space will be used, including the commissions that will be presented in the former oil tanks downstairs.” Hanley also recommends checking out the gallery’s cinema program. “Its series and one-off events, presenting contemporary moving image works and also historical cinema, are really great,” she says.
Get a taste of performance art
Art is accessible in many forms in Sydney, with Phoenix Central Park in inner-city Chippendale highly recommended by Hanley for an inspiring night out. “It’s a beautiful intimate performance space presenting local and international acts,” she explains. So popular are the boundary-pushing performances at this philanthropic initiative that tickets, which are always free, are issued at random to those who have entered the online ticket ballot for the particular show.
Don’t miss the city’s smaller arts spaces
Sydney’s smaller neighbourhood galleries, says Hanley, can pack a rousing punch, showcasing a diverse range of works by artists both emerging and established. “On Llankelly Place in Kings Cross there’s The Cross Arts Projects, which is a small space but it shares interesting contemporary practice that is often focused on socio-political issues. I first saw the bark works of [Yolŋu artist] Naminapu Maymuru-White in that space, and Naminapu was in The National 4 this year at Carriageworks. She created a 42-piece bark work in black and white ochre that mapped the River of Stars, or the Milky Way.”
White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
SUPERNATURAL art exhibition being showcased at White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
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White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
SUPERNATURAL art exhibition being showcased at White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a run through the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a run through the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Seek out Sydney’s public art
Sydney’s famously balmy weather makes it an ideal city for enjoying its public art, and there’s no shortage of it. “There are a number of works across Chippendale’s Central Park,” says Hanley. “Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist has a project there, and Tadashi Kawamata has his Big Nest there. And then close by [in the Greenland Centre on Bathurst Street] there’s a marbled mosaic ceiling by Agatha Gothe-Snape called The Noblest.”
Hanley also recommends checking out Badger Bates’ Gates by Barkandji Elder and leading Aboriginal artist William Brian ‘Badger’ Bates at Yirranma Place in inner-city Darlinghurst, featuring three intricate panel gates – blacksmithed by Bates working with Matt Mewburn of Eveleigh Works – that illustrate stories critical to the life and worldview of the Barkandji people. A new work on her own list to see is the George Street Plaza and Community Building, a collaboration between another renowned Aboriginal artist, Daniel Boyd, and Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, which takes the form of a perforated canopy in the city centre.
Indulge in a local art purchase
Sydney’s rich array of commercial art galleries offer the perfect opportunity to take a piece of Sydney’s art scene home with you. Among Hanley’s top picks is Fine Arts, Sydney in Paddington, and The Commercial in Marrickville, which “represents [Kamilaroi and Bigambul Aboriginal artist] Archie Moore, who will represent Australia at the next Venice Biennale early next year,” she adds.
Inspire budding creatives
Many of Sydney’s arts and cultural spaces have dedicated programs and other offerings for kids, while others invite children to interact with the art itself. Among them is New Zealand-born artist Mike Hewson’s St Peters Fences in the inner west suburb of St Peters – a children’s playground made of replica fences from homes demolished to make way for Sydney’s largest motorway project. “It’s a great outdoor space for children — and parents — to play,” says Hanley.
Immerse in Sydney’s arts events
You don’t even need to enter a gallery to get a taste of Sydney’s rich arts and culture scenes. “Sydney hosts a number of cultural events throughout the year, from the Biennale of Sydney to the Sydney Film Festival, and I think it’s important if you are visiting to seek out those events,” says Hanley.
19th Biennale of Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Tinka Pittoors Dysideological Principle, 2013
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19th Biennale of Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Tinka Pittoors Dysideological Principle, 2013
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a visit the the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
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Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a visit the the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
More Inspirational Stories
The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
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Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
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Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
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Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
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Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
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Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
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Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
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Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.