Mike Hewson – The Key’s Under the Mat

Exhibition and Shows

31 Mar 2026 to 30 Jun 2026 Daily Event

Australia’s most dramatic exhibition space is completely transformed, as artist Mike Hewson brings his unique and boundary-testing brand of social sculpture to the Nelson Packer Tank.

Renowned for award-winning public projects that are at once artworks, play areas, and places to be, Hewson has reimagined the Tank as a combined park, playground, construction site, and commons – an anarchic and generous sculptural neighbourhood where visitors can meet, dwell, play, make, perform, explore and more.

Free to all and made for all ages, this one-of-a-kind project was developed in the artist’s dynamic Sydney workshop and constructed from thousands of salvaged objects and materials. Hewson’s project is an experiment in participation, a spirited act of reclamation and regeneration, a radical rework of the legacies of modern sculpture, and a provocation about what a truly welcoming art museum might look like.

For Hewson, whose sculptural practice was catalysed by the experience of the Christchurch earthquakes, the artist is a host who welcomes guests to use the artwork as their own – ‘the key’s under the mat, make yourself at home’.

Facilities

Bar Cafe Carpark Family Friendly Kiosk Lockers Non Smoking Parents Room Public Toilet Restaurant Shop / Gift Shop

Internet Access

Free Wifi

Rates

Free Entry

Event Dates

Daily Event

31 Mar 2026 to 30 Jun 2026

Nearby Accommodation

View All
The Grace Hotel Building

The Grace Hotel Sydney

Sydney

Sydney Central YHA Exterior

YHA Sydney Central

Haymarket, Sydney

Deluxe Corner King Room

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Sydney

A close-up of a hotel bed made with crisp white sheets with an upholstered bedhead and bedside table

The Urban Newtown

Newtown, Inner West

Spicers Potts Point

Spicers Potts Point

Potts Point, Sydney

Couple enjoying the spectacular views of Sydney Harbour from their bedroom at the Park Hyatt

Park Hyatt Sydney

The Rocks, Sydney

Contact Us