Partridge was once again a proud sponsor of Sculpture by the Sea for 2025, and, as part of our annual tradition, the Sydney office had breakfast together and a walk along Bondi to enjoy the artworks.
The Partridge team was involved from the early planning of the annual sculpture show, through the Structural Engineering Review Panel, to the final inspection before it opened to the public. Each year, we work closely with the Sculpture by the Sea team, artists and other stakeholders, focussing on safety, stability, material performance, installation requirements, environmental factors, and potential interaction with the public, while also supporting the artist’s vision.
April Pine’s artwork, Sway, featured vertical and horizontal aluminium plates slotted together to form four coexisting figures. Partridge analysed April’s 3D model using finite element software to confirm the minimum plate thicknesses required to maintain strength and stability under wind loads. The work appeared solid or transparent depending on the viewing angle, giving the impression of movement. This marked the third time we’ve collaborated with April on an artwork for Sculpture by the Sea.
“Sway” artwork by April Pine, photo by Charlotte Curd.
Drew McDonald’s SOMA combined a polished appliance with elements of untamed nature. The artist draws inspiration from the everyday and from the art movements of Dada, Surrealism and Pop Art. The dolphins emerging from the toaster are supported by an internal stainless-steel armature connected to the toaster frame. The glossy toaster contrasted with the polished terrazzo-finish upper plinth made of glass fibre reinforced concrete, while the lower plinth consisted of a solid sandstone block, providing stability.
“SOMA”, artwork by Drew McDonald, photo by Daniel Varrica.
Tom de Munk-Kerkmeer’s Broad Band Cool Drink Tribe consisted of four colourful, individual elements forming a small family unit. Each element used an internal steel post supporting stacked recycled PET bottles, finished with the artist’s signature paintwork. The posts were sized to fit within the bottle openings without compromising the integrity of the outer elements, and all four artworks were fixed to a single concrete pad footing buried beneath the sand.
“Broad Band Cool Drink Tribe“, artwork by Tom de Munk-Kerkmeer, photo by Charlotte Curd
In the lead up to the exhibition, Partridge carried out a full engineering review and worked closely with artists including Dale Miles, Rosalind Lemoh, Xaever Mand, Kerry Cannon, Christopher, Sophie Dumaresq, and Cui Yi to ensure their artworks were safely and successfully realised for the exhibition.
