Dates: Monday, 2 September – Friday 11 October
Times: 9:00am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday, 10:00am – 3:00pm Saturday and Sunday
Entry: FREE
Venue: CCC Capsule 

Exhibition statement:
Crown Shyness refers to a phenomenon in which the crowns of fully stocked trees form a canopy that is distant from the other with channel-like gaps. The phenomenon is often observed in windy areas, leading scientists to assume that the gaps between the crowns make it less likely that branches will collide or get wedged together.  

There’s a lot to discover in nature when you shift your view even a little. The same can be found within the leaves of trees themselves. The aim of this work is to create a collective memory of the space and landscape, informing the use of lightweight materials that resemble the features of the phenomenon.  

As visitors pass by, the leaves will resonate with the movement that channels through the air. The visitors of the space all of a sudden become the co-creator of this kinetic piece. The work is hung and threaded through the strings within the capsule to embrace the aerodynamics of the space. 

Artist statement: 
Jina He is a creative based in Melbourne with an art, design, and architecture background.  

She had a proposed installation built on-site and published in the local newspaper at the Bisenzio River, Italy in 2014. With a keen interest in public arts, Jina He was selected as the external arts grants assessment panel member with the City of Melbourne in 2020.  

In 2021 she was commissioned to develop an augmented public artwork in Flinders Quarters with the support of the Metro Tunnel Creative Program. In 2022, she completed a placemaking project with ground and wall mural art commissioned by the city of Boroondara in Canterbury.  

Jina He believes placemaking strategies are a way to shape and design the world as well as recalibrate and regenerate neighbourhoods. 

To learn more about Jina He, visit her website here.  

Artwork credit: Jina He, Crown Shyness Promotional Image (detail)