Beneath the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Nelson Packer Tank has been completely reimagined by artist Mike Hewson, the New Zealand born Sydney local best known for turning urban environments into living, breathing artworks.
The Keys Under The Mat invites you into a sculptural neighbourhood made from salvaged materials and impossible ideas; a park, a playground, and a challenge to everything you thought a museum could be.
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Location
Address: Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Venue: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Nelson Packer Tank, Naala Badu Building
Website: artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Dates
Event Run: 9 November 2025 – 30 June 2026
Frequency: Daily
Hours: 10 am – 5 pm
Entry: Free for all ages
Price
Cost: Free
Bookings: Not required, walk in and explore
The BioHax Take
Beneath Sydney’s harbour framed cultural temple sits a new kind of gallery experience, one you don’t just look at, you live in. Mike Hewson’s massive installation rebuilds the Tank as a sculptural ecosystem where art is climbed, played with, and shared.
There are no velvet ropes here, just ramps, poles, timber, steel, and the faint smell of creative chaos. It’s part construction site, part dreamscape, and wholly democratic. Think: the Tate Modern, but with a sense of humour.
About The Artist
Mike Hewson’s career began with the rubble of the Christchurch earthquakes, where his sculptural interventions blurred the line between ruin and renewal. His works are equal parts engineering and empathy, transforming abandoned architecture into spaces of play, participation, and public connection.
Now based in Sydney, Hewson continues that mission through large scale social sculptures that reclaim forgotten urban sites. His ethos? If art can’t be touched, climbed, or questioned, what’s the point?
Curator’s Take
Art Gallery of NSW curator Justin Paton calls The Keys Under The Mat “a gift to the city, a reminder that art can be a playground for everyone.”
It’s an exhibition that dares to invite you in, rather than keeping you out.
What’s On Offer
Expect to step into a full scale sculptural landscape constructed from thousands of reclaimed objects and materials sourced from Hewson’s Sydney workshop. It’s part playground, part public commons, and part experiment in social architecture.
Climb a beam. Sit in a hollowed out boat. Wander through a maze of timber, steel, and possibility. Hewson calls it “an act of radical hospitality” a place where the city itself is the guest.
Sustainability Snapshot
This project is a masterclass in adaptive reuse and circular design. Every surface tells a story; steel from construction sites, wood from scaffolding, plastic from playgrounds past. Nothing is wasted; everything is reimagined. It’s a tangible blueprint for how art can model sustainability without ever saying the word.
Who It’s For
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Parents chasing a free family day that’s actually fun
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Design nerds with a soft spot for reclaimed beauty
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Art lovers who like their culture loud, tactile, and alive
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Solo wanderers seeking a midweek reset that doesn’t cost a cent
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free?
Yes — entry is completely free and open to the public.
Do I need to book?
No — just turn up any day between 10 am and 5 pm.
Is it suitable for kids?
Absolutely — it’s made for them. Climb, crawl, explore.
Can I take photos?
Yes — and you should. The lighting is insane.
Is it accessible?
Yes — via the Naala Badu Building lift.
When does it end?
30 June 2026 — plenty of time to make yourself at home.
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