Just four days before Sculpture by the Sea opened its doors to hundreds of thousands of visitors, founder David Handley received devastating news that would throw the entire exhibition into chaos. A critical viewing site at Marks Park was deemed unsafe by independent geotechnical consultants, forcing organizers into a frantic last-minute scramble to save the beloved annual event.
The lookout at Marks Park, now cordoned off with yellow warning signs reading "do not enter," was declared hazardous following recent rockfalls in Bronte and Bondi that had already forced the closure of part of the coastal walkway between the eastern suburbs beaches. "Together with council, we agreed that, using an abundance of caution, we wouldn't put sculptures or have people go on to the lookout this year," Handley explained. One of the primary safety concerns was the potential for the entire lookout structure to give way under pressure.
The geological uncertainty added another layer of complexity to the decision-making process. "It may be safe for hundreds of years, but no one really knows. So we just wanted to be careful and sensible and not take that risk given these two huge rockfalls in the last 15 months," Handley said. This safety concern, combined with additional logistical nightmares, created a perfect storm of challenges for the exhibition organizers.
The geological crisis was compounded by a series of international shipping disasters that further threatened the exhibition's success. A shipment of eight sculptures from Japan was significantly delayed due to the country's typhoon season, while a boat carrying a Slovakian sculpture caught fire during transport. These multiple setbacks plunged the organization into an unprecedented last-minute scramble to preserve the integrity of their world-renowned exhibition.
While organizers had been aware of the possibility of delayed sculptures and a potential geotechnical assessment shutting down the lookout, both situations were officially confirmed just four days before the exhibition was scheduled to open to the public. This timing left virtually no margin for error in executing their contingency plans. The cliff verdict forced the organization to immediately implement Plan B, requiring a complete reshuffle of six sculpture locations across the coastal exhibition site.
"You can't put any old sculpture next to each other; they have to fit comfortably next to each other," Handley emphasized, highlighting the artistic and logistical complexity of the reorganization. "We had sculptures coming in on schedule and still installing those, while working out how we're going to rearrange the exhibition to take into account the delays and confirmation that we couldn't have a sculpture on the lookout. It was a challenge."
The geological threats facing Sydney's coastline are both omnipresent and unpredictable, according to Bruce Thom, emeritus professor of geoscience at the University of Sydney. "It is not something we can predict, or something we can say will happen tomorrow," Thom explained. "Bondi has Hawkesbury sandstone, which are big blocks that fall at the top of the cliff, and they may fall from a combination of different causes, including waves, spray and rainwater infiltrating into the cracks of the rocks and weakening the cohesion among the rocks."
Thom further contextualized the ongoing geological challenges facing the coastal exhibition site. "The walk goes along the cliff, and it's basically a safe walk, but we have these incidents. Cliffs are there for a reason; they have been attacked and deformed. That's how they exist," he noted, emphasizing the inherent unpredictability of coastal geology.
Waverley Council provided additional details about the discovery that led to the closure, explaining that comprehensive drone surveys of the entire coastline identified a critical defect in the rock overhang beneath the lookout at Marks Park in September. This discovery prompted the immediate closure of the popular viewing area. "Following safety advice and out of an abundance of caution, taking into account the weight of vehicles and machinery required for the installation of an artwork – coupled with anticipated high visitation numbers – Council made the decision to close access to this particular viewpoint," the council stated.
Despite the significant logistical challenges posed by the site reshuffle, Handley revealed that the exhibition faced an even more daunting crisis in the weeks leading up to the event. Securing a crucial $200,000 lifeline from corporate donors amid severe budget shortfalls just three weeks before the event proved more challenging than managing the sculpture reorganization. "The big worry was the financial," he admitted. "Reshuffling where we put in sculptures – that issue was a bit more than normal. The real challenge was financial."
The financial pressures facing Sculpture by the Sea have been mounting, with the organization previously expressing concerns about its long-term viability due to ongoing budget constraints. The last-minute corporate intervention provided essential funding that allowed the exhibition to proceed, but highlighted the precarious financial foundation supporting one of Australia's most popular cultural events. The exhibition, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, concluded successfully the following Monday despite the numerous challenges faced during its preparation.
