A new Sydney sculpture has transformed our harbour

If you’re placing a public sculpture around Sydney Cove - Warrane, you better get it right. This is sacred Sydney terrain. Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) has nailed it with Ancient Feelings by British sculptor Thomas J Price. But there’s a problem. Ancient Feelings is scheduled to leave the MCA in April. 

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) sits on one of the most storied pieces of real estate in Sydney. Invasion and dispossession, the convict colony and the evolution of contemporary Australia, all start here -  overlooking the harbour and Sydney Opera House. It’s an area at the centre of the triumph and tragedy of Australian history since colonisation. It’s bang in the middle of Sydney’s tourism precinct, The Rocks.

A new sculpture has arrived here, at an important time for the MCA.

Like most cultural institutions, the MCA has been struggling with financial challenges in recent years. An admission charge was introduced in 2025, making the MCA the only major cultural institution in Sydney to charge visitors to see its permanent collection. It has location in its favour but going head to head with the amazing  Art Gallery of New South Wales - with free admission - must have been a big call.

Last year I wondered whether the MCA had surrendered to financial pressures and decided to refocus on becoming a commercial event space - and less on being a cultural institution? It’s a question you find yourself asking often while exploring Sydney’s public institutions.

In addition to adding a cover charge, the MCA closed its iconic public cafe. Incredible views and good food made the cafe a visitor magnet over many years. The old cafe space was converted into another exclusive Sydney dining venue. It doubles as an event space for hire by night. A public asset was lost.

The installation of Ancient Feelings outside the MCA on the Tallawoladah lawn has given me hope. This is a spectacular and timely piece. It might present a reset opportunity for the MCA and Sydney.

A striking, 3-meter golden bronze bust of a Black woman, Ancient Feelings was installed late in 2025. Sculptor Price says she’s an amalgam of facial scans and his own creations. She now owns this sacred Sydney space.

Ancient Feelings invites us to think about people unrepresented in public art - in this case black women - or black people and women. It has a special resonance in these backsliding times. 

The two African American tourists I chat with in the video (above) sought out Ancient Feelings after researching Sydney. They were visibly moved by the piece. Its magnetism is universal.

I lead history walks around Sydney so I’ve been able to see the spontaneous responses to the piece from hundreds of international visitors in recent months. It’s unanimously viewed as a masterpiece, perfectly positioned. 

As the planned removal of Ancient Feelings in April approaches, I hope the MCA and Sydney can come together to make this piece permanent.

Its removal would be a great loss to the MCA and the city. It’s a rare work of public sculpture that so perfectly takes ownership of a space aesthetically, while speaking to the cultural moment with such authority. 

Ancient Feelings is perfect where it is. It complements the Sydney sandstone of the MCA. And it's already becoming a Sydney destination.

Sydney needs to find a way to keep Ancient Feelings right where it is.