4 Days Left To See Bonnie Huang’s LGBTQ+ Shrine Queering Sydney’s West

For another four days, visitors to Westfield Parramatta can take a free look at non-binary artist Bonnie Huang’s (they/them) tribute to queer westies: Bonnie Huang: Dare to Dream. The installation, developed in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and ACON’s C3West project, is a video, text, and sculptural shrine to the LGBTQ+ residents of Western Sydney.

While monuments to Sydney’s queers can be found in abundance in the inner suburbs, from Newtown’s Pride Square to Darlinghurst’s Rainbow Crossing, this artwork represents one of the few trophies of LGBTQ+ community identity to be found in public display in Sydney’s West. 

The installation can be found on Level 4 of the shopping centre, just opposite Timezone, and was developed in collaboration with over 70 LGBTQ+ community participants from across Sydney’s West, including the suburbs of Parramatta, Granville, Bankstown, Liverpool, and Mount Druitt.   

The Inspiration Behind Bonnie Huang’s “Dare to Dream”

Artist Bonnie Huang said that much of the work was inspired by the loneliness and yearning shared by LGBTQ+ westies, many of whom lacked queer community spaces growing up, often leaving Western Sydney altogether in adulthood in pursuit of them.

“The work stems from this sense of searching that was consistent across all my conversations with community,” Huang revealed. “The physical installation demonstrates how an oasis can be built from a collection of objects, relations between people and their nostalgias, akin to how people create devotional spaces of personal significance in their own rooms, backyards and local neighbourhoods.”

Amy Clark, Director of Community Programs at ACON Health, celebrated the installation as an opportunity for LGBTQ+ westies to cultivate a community space together. 

“True wellness begins with connection and belonging,” said Clark. “For many multicultural LGBTQ+ people in Greater Western Sydney, it can be challenging to find opportunities to connect with their community in a manner that celebrates all the diverse parts of their identity. This project is deeply meaningful to us because it actively creates those spaces, fostering community and visibility where it matters most. 

“We hope Dare to Dream strengthens bonds within our diverse communities and reminds everyone that they are seen, valued and never alone.”

The installation will be viewable to the public until August 16.