KEKI’s New Monumental: Reimagining Community With Public Art
Image: Multi-Headed Reclining Figure (2025) by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran at Scape Kingsford. Source: Supplied by Vital Commons
Three striking new sculptures are reshaping the streets of Kensington and Kingsford, and what it means to build community through public art spaces.
Commissioned by urban developer Scape, known for its student housing, and curated by Vital Commons, New Monumental is a series of contemporary art installations situated in the heart of the $1 billion KEKI precinct.
Monuments redefined in in KEKI’s public art series
Designed to bring culture into everyday life, the project pairs large-scale works with local purpose, spotlighting artists Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Reko Rennie and Monica Rani Rudhar in a vibrant display of identity, connection, and civic pride.
But this isn’t your typical sculpture walk.
Each artist was selected to challenge outdated ideas of what a “monument” is in the 21st century and who it’s for. The result is a dynamic trio of works that are as inclusive as they are expressive, and grounded in place.
Sculpting identity through three bold visions
The first to debut, Multi-Headed Reclining Figure (2025) by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, rests beneath a frangipani tree at Scape Kingsford.
Cast in bronze and bursting with colour, the sculpture draws from South Asian visual traditions while embracing fluid identities.
It’s a playful reimagining of contemporary symbolism, resisting the rigid aesthetics of Western statues.
Just down the road in Todman Square, Reko Rennie’s Totemic (2025) offers a striking contrast. The Kamilaroi artist’s towering sculpture and expansive ground-level design remixes ancestral symbols with street-style flair.
The geometric result is a pulsating landmark that brings Aboriginal identity into the area’s ever-evolving streetscape.
Later this year at Scape Lachlan, Monica Rani Rudhar will complete the trilogy with Home Under My Feet and Bells in My Ears (2025).
Suspended above a rangoli-inspired pavement design, her chandelier-like sculpture draws on her Indian-Romanian roots to transform personal memory into public celebration.
Scape and Vital Commons rethink public art
For Scape CEO Anouk Darling, the series is about shaping spaces people feel they belong in. “These artworks invite everyone—students, neighbours and visitors—into a cultural dialogue,” she said.
“They don’t just reflect the community; they elevate it.”
Vital Commons curators Dr Josephine Skinner and Bethan Donnelly agree. “New Monumental is a platform for visionary artists reshaping what public art can be,” they said. “It’s about connection, storytelling, and seeing ourselves in our streets.”
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New Monumental also features a hands-on educational program, with workshops and classroom resources giving students the chance to engage directly with the works and the cultures they represent.
The project is part of Randwick City Council’s K2K Planning Strategy, which aims to transform the Kensington and Kingsford corridor into a vibrant, future-facing town centre.
Mayor Dylan Parker called the series “a bold beginning” for the precinct’s vision for inclusive community-centred art. “We’re proud to see Randwick become a canvas for contemporary expression,” he said.
As the KEKI precinct takes shape, New Monumental sets a precedent: Art doesn’t just belong in galleries, it belongs where people live, move, and gather.
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