Christine Oksas, the University of Illinois Health and Diversity in Sydney and South Australia 2015-16 student blogger, writes:

Upon arriving in Sydney were struck by the intensity of its atmosphere. People in crisp navy suits hurry importantly from place to place. Couples stroll along the waterfront admiring the Sydney Opera House against the blue sky. Crowds gather around street performers picking at guitars and wowing with magic tricks. (It is at this point that we realize the importance of stepping to the left to avoid being trampled.)

Anxious to explore, we set off and soon find ourselves at the Museum of Contemporary Art, in an exhibit presenting Tiwi prints from the Northern Territory. The paintings – intricate patterns of black, tan, deep red, and burnt orange colored dots – provide a stark contrast to the bustle of the modern, steel blue city on the other side of the door. It is a theme I have noticed often during our travels: old vs. new.

On the fourth floor of the museum is Sangeeta Sandrasegar’s “to be carried away by the current, to be dissolved in the Other”. It is a fibreglass statue of a young girl, with the body of a human, and the head of an ancient fish. The sculpture demonstrates the ancient and the modern aspects of Sydney’s foundation and growth.

As I look up at the statue I can see how well the fish head fits on the girl’s body. It reminds me of the differences of the bush and the city, but how well they unite to shape the cultures and beliefs of the collective people of Australia. To me, Sandrasegar’s work, and the Tiwi prints, are a testament to the old and the new complementing each other as they thrive in one place, much like Australia itself.