New Monumental is a public art series of works curated by Vital Commons and commissioned by Scape, bringing together three groundbreaking artists, Monica Rani Rudhar, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran and Reko Rennie, redefining monumental art. The artists were selected for their unique approaches to reimagining monumentality today – foregrounding bold new visions for public art that reflect the diversity and complexity of our world and inviting collective inspiration, connection, and deeper cultural understanding.

The first work in the series, Multi-Headed Reclining Figure (2025), a peaceful reclining figure by acclaimed Sri Lanka-Australian artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, is installed under a frangipani tree at Scape Kingsford. Ramesh’s vibrant reclining figure, cast in bronze, draws on his South Asian heritage to explore themes of cultural hybridity and plurality, challenging traditional representations of monumentality to embrace fluid identities and contemporary forms.

Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie’s Totemic (2025) now stands in the revitalised Todman Square, Kensington, contributing to the area’s evolution into a thriving cultural hub. This striking bronze sculpture and expansive ground plane installation reimagines the idea of a traditional totem through a contemporary lens, blending ancestral symbols with Rennie’s signature bold, urban style.

The final piece in the trilogy, Home Under My Feet and Bells in My Ears (2025), will be installed at Scape Lachlan in late 2025. Rani Rudhar’s striking site-specific work will draw on her Indian-Romanian heritage, transforming a small, cultural ‘momento’ to monumental scale. Transcending personal and collective histories, this glorious chandelier-like piece will hang above a rangoli-inspired design sandblasted into pavers below, ushering prosperity and positive energy into the site, and fostering a sense of connection and inclusion for visitors and the surrounding community.