Ivan Smith brings his global vision to the Palmer Sculpture Biennial
The UK artist will be among the stars of sculpture who will exhibit at Palmer in 2026.
This story is now free to read. Help Murray Bridge News tell more stories like this by subscribing today.
The rolling hills west of Mannum are coming alive as the 2026 Palmer Sculpture Biennial prepares to open on March 14.
This year’s exhibition will feature 29 sculptors from Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland, bringing diverse perspectives to the intimate rural setting.
Among them will be works by UK-based artist Ivan Smith, whose works are exhibited around the world.
Palmer Sculpture Landscape founder Greg Johns suggested Smith’s work Order and Chaos would be a highlight of this year’s exhibition.
“This is an opportunity for fellow artists, and in fact anyone who is fascinated by sculpture, to come and share in his insights,” he said.
Smith spent five weeks in China last October on a residency and exhibition project.
Back in Adelaide, he worked with two local artists, Chris Ormerod and George Andric, to select local limestone at Palmer and construct metalwork to create Order and Chaos.
Despite the hot summer conditions, they completed the work in just one month.
Speaking at an intimate talk at the Ecoshed Palmer on February 8, Smith described how he created site-specific sculptures that explored the interplay between human intention and natural forces, inviting viewers to engage in deeper philosophical reflection on our relationship with the natural world.
Smith’s Palmer installation exemplifies this approach.
Combining man-made steel with locally sourced limestone, the work juxtaposes precise industrial frames with natural shapes, creating a dynamic tension.
“The steel and the stones have two very different requirements: the stone, from the land and potentially aged in millions of years, becomes my found object, while the steel, whose function is precise and mechanical, needed to be acquired from a steel supplier in Adelaide to accomplish the necessary requirements of construction,” Smith said.
“This then also sits alongside my title’s question of the two.
“I only had the idea for Order and Chaos after stepping onto this land at Palmer, standing on the hill and looking across the vast landscape.
“The whole concept came to me then.”
Beyond Palmer, Smith applies the same approach worldwide, transforming discarded materials into reflective sculptures.
His projects highlight how everyday human actions interact with the environment, encouraging audiences to reflect on their impact.
From dog-waste-lined trees in the UK to discarded buckets in Germany, and urban litter repurposed by children in India, his work shows the ripple effect of ordinary behaviours in shaping the world around us.
After a one-hour talk, Smith, Johns and biennial coordinator Bill Clifford guided visitors on a short walk from the Ecoshed to the Order and Chaos sculpture site on the hill.
There, the audience engaged in an open discussion about the sculpture, its materials, and how it interacted with the surrounding landscape.
“I love how Ivan’s sculpture shows that human order and nature’s order are different, and his work really highlights that contrast,” a visitor from Mannum reflected.
“Up close, nature can seem messy, but looking at the bigger picture, it has its own order, independent of ours.
“It’s really interesting to think about.”
Another visitor from Adelaide remarked: “I hope more people take part in doing what Greg and Smith are doing: looking after our planet and recycling more stuff.”
Mr Clifford said the most rewarding part of his work was getting in touch with the artists: “You meet a lot of beautiful people.”
The biennial will open on March 14 with an Indigenous smoking ceremony and veranda music event featuring the Yearlings, Jenn Lush and other musicians.
The opening day will be free to attend from 11am-7pm.
The 2026 Palmer Sculpture Biennial will run from March 14 to April 12.
- More information: Visit palmersculpturebiennial.org/about or www.ivanpatricksmith.com.
- Read more: Meet Greg Johns, the Murraylands’ world-renowned sculptor
Correction: The Yearlings will perform at the opening event.
