Image: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney
A new site-specific sculpture by Australian artist Nell is now installed on the Level 4 Terrace of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney. Titled ‘Holding Both’, the work is described by the museum as an homage to the power and presence of women and will remain on view until 23 August 2027.
The commission is made from bronze, patina, brass and glass. Its placement on the MCA’s terrace gives the work a dedicated architectural setting within the museum, rather than presenting it as an object in a conventional gallery display. The museum’s announcement characterises the sculpture as “bold” but does not provide further details about its dimensions, form or fabrication.
‘Holding Both’ was commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia with support from lead patrons Ginny and Leslie Green and Vicki Vidor OAM. The work is dated 2026 in the museum’s accompanying image information, which also credits the artist and STATION, Australia. No separate opening date or public programme has been announced in the supplied material.
The installation forms part of the MCA’s current presentation of contemporary art in Sydney. The museum is located at Tallawoladah on Gadigal Country, at 140 George Street in The Rocks. In its visitor information, the MCA describes itself as an independent, not-for-profit museum that relies on donations to connect audiences with contemporary art and ideas.
The museum’s location and acknowledgement of Country are part of its institutional context. The MCA acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners of the land and waters on which it stands. A language translation included in its communications was undertaken with assistance from Professor Jakelin Troy and endorsed by local community Elders and the MCA Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group.
The sculpture is being presented alongside the museum’s wider 2026 exhibition programme, which includes the annual ‘Primavera 2026: Young Australian Artists’ exhibition and ‘Connections: MCA × Tate’. Those exhibitions are separate presentations from Nell’s commission. ‘Holding Both’ is specifically identified as a site-specific work on the Level 4 Terrace and is scheduled to remain there until 23 August 2027.
