'Memory Is Creation Without End' – Sydney, Australia - Atlas Obscura

'Memory Is Creation Without End'

This work of art was designed to represent the Tarpeian Way Quarry that once dominated the area.  

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“Memory Is Creation Without End” is the name given to this interesting work of public art that sits at the edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens in central Sydney. It was created in 2000 by Japanese sculptor Kimio Tsuchiya. Tsuchiya was born in 1956 in Fukui and gained a worldwide reputation for his work after graduating from Nihon University in 1977.

This work consists of multiple stone blocks, some of which are from previous landmarks across the city such as the old Pyrmont Bridge. The site where the sculpture resides was once the Tarpeian Way Quarry and this was taken into account in the artist’s work, as the sandstone blocks are said to represent the toiling work of the miners over the years.

The sandstone taken from this quarry was used in the construction of many Sydney buildings and structures that remain standing to this day. The pieces are arranged in a spiral pattern and this is said to symbolize the intertwining nature of the past, present, and future. 

When walking around the sculpture, visitors are rewarded with a great view of the modern office buildings that now dominate the Sydney skyline. 

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February 2, 2023

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