A new, community-driven initiative is set to transform Bickley Valley’s Perth Observatory into a cultural tourism hotspot – meet Perth Sky Sculpture Park.
Officially slated for a 2026 opening, the park will be a permanent showcase of fine art sculptures and installations, found throughout the heritage-listed buildings, domes, and surrounding bushland trails of Perth Observatory.
To mark the announcement, a preview exhibition is now on display at the Perth Observatory, featuring works by Western Australian artists Sam Hopkins, Johannes Pannekoek, Denise Pepper and Steve Tepper, alongside international artist Anton Forde.
Creative Director Sandra Tinari noted that the project responded to a desire to make contemporary art more accessible to the outer metro communities, and aims to establish a significant new cultural landmark celebrating creativity, heritage, and community engagement.
The park will debut in spring next year with a major Biennial Awards Exhibition, of which winning works will be displayed for two years. Artists around the globe were invited to submit for the award on November 15, and share in Australia’s largest prize pool for contemporary sculpture. Each sculpture will feature in a living, evolving landscape of art and nature tourism in WA.
The Biennial Awards Exhibition will be joined by the Acquisitive Awards, supported by the City of Kalamunda. Works that win this award are recognised as outstanding artistic achievements, and become part of the City’s permanent public art collection.
“This Sculpture Park and its biennial exhibition will be unlike anything else in Australia — a dialogue between contemporary art, nature, and astronomy,” said Johannes Pannekoek, Chair and Head Curator of Perth Sky Sculpture Park.
