In mid-August, SECCA hosted a special public program offsite at Mimosa Rocks National Park, complementing the Bithry. Time. exhibition on display in the Chambers Gallery.
Over decades, leading Australian artist Bonita Ely created time-based works in response to the shifting light, tides, and human activity of Bithry Inlet, in the national park. Bonita and her daughter, collaborating artist Marina Ely, led the program, sharing rare insights into their family’s creative legacy and enduring connection to place.
A fully booked audience braved the winter chill, gathering at the historic Myer House for an intimate artist talk with Bonita, as she reflected on her decades-long practice exploring environmental, conceptual, and socio-political themes.
Following the talk, attendees walked through the bush to the Barn — a striking nonagon-shaped structure designed by Marina’s grandfather, renowned architect Sir Roy Grounds. The Barn holds deep personal and creative significance for both Bonita and Marina.
At the site, Marina acknowledged that the place they all gathered on would have been the home for many, many generations of First Nations, the Djiringanj people. She then led a grounding mindfulness exercise and offered a guided reflection on the Barn’s layered history: once home to her father, artist Marr Grounds, and a place of childhood memories shaped by nature and creativity.
Guests were then invited to create rubbings from the Barn’s wooden block floor, echoing the collaborative floor-based work by Bonita and Marina displayed at SECCA as part of the exhibition.
Marina explained that the process of rubbing involves more than touch.
“It heightens one’s awareness of the landscape of surfaces. The Barn’s floor is made from unmilled timber, each piece holding its natural form. Some appear as caricatures, others are cracked or lined with the memory of their growth — each telling the story of their life as a tree. These forms feel deeply familiar to me; many hold memories, and some carry stories of their own in my mind. In rubbing the Barn’s floor, it felt as though I were taking a fingerprint of a part of myself — a profoundly emotional and therapeutic act. It became a way to process both farewell and gratitude; rubbing the floor was my way of saying goodbye to the Barn as my home — and thank you,” Marina shared.
The event offered a rare opportunity to connect with the artists, the site and the rich history that shaped Bithry. Time.
