OBSERVER: Australian Tapestry Worskhop unveiling


The Australian Tapestry Workshop hosted a cutting-off ceremony to reveal Australia’s first 3D tapestry – a groundbreaking floating ellipse installation that is destined for the $1.5b new Footscray Hospital.
It was a major cultural event at the intersection of public art, First Nations design, healthcare and architectural innovation.
Welcome to Country – now you see me: seeing the invisible is a 42 square metre tapestry – a monumental artwork that redefines tapestry on a cultural and architectural scale.
Created in collaboration with First Nations artists Maree Clarke (Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung) and Mitch Mahoney (Boonwurrung/Barkindji), the design draws inspiration from microscopic views of river reeds from the Maribyrnong River. Hand-woven over 10,000 hours by 12 weavers at ATW in South Melbourne, the tapestry weighs 135 kilograms and will be suspended as a floating ellipse over two levels in the hospital’s main foyer – a welcome at the new Footscray Hospital for patients, staff and visitors.
This is not only Victoria’s largest tapestry commissioned for a public hospital, but also a first-of-its-kind – a 3D tapestry installation that merges contemporary design, traditional weaving and Indigenous storytelling in a public health setting.
The commission is supported by The Premier’s Suite, a partnership between the Tapestry Foundation of Australia, the Victorian Government and the Australian Hotels Association, which funds major tapestry artworks for public hospitals.
The Australian Tapestry Workshop has produced more than 700 hand-woven tapestries since 1976, featured in institutions including Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the Sydney Opera House and 10 international embassies.
Key facts:
12 weavers and 2 dyeing specialists
10,000 hours to complete over 14-months (April 2024 – June 2025)
42 square metres (4.2m high x 10m wide)
Weighs over 135 kilograms
Over 270 kilometres of yarn used – the distance from Footscray to Yarrawonga
103 yarn colours, including 8 custom shades dyed onsite by ATW’s master dyer
Tapestry wools are sourced from Victorian-based farms.