Changing Lands
Artist
James Voller
Client
Moorabool Shire Council
Location
Bald Hill, Victoria
Year
2025
Medium
Steel, pic-perf
Fabricators and partners
DSD Designs
Skyview Design & Build
Changing Lands is a site-responsive sculptural series developed for the Bald Hill All-Abilities Sculpture Trail in Moorabool Shire. The work embeds local histories of land, industry and architecture into a natural walking trail on the top of Bald Hill, using large-scale photographic interventions that reference materials found in the region.
The work explores the ongoing tension between built and natural environments. James’ photographic practice, rooted in ideas of transformation and illusion, is applied through a combination of digital printing and site-responsive fabrication. The works reflect on past and present shifts across the Shire, including agricultural development, industrial growth and changing patterns of settlement.
The work references large I-beam steel elements often found in agricultural architecture, with sections of perforated metal printed with local imagery bolted between the steel components. This semi-transparent surface allows the work to shift with light and movement, creating the impression of architecture phasing in and out of the landscape.
Community engagement was central to the development process. Voller worked with residents to gather images and stories that shaped the conceptual foundation of the work. This knowledge informed the final imagery and material selections, grounding the project in lived local experience.
Collide oversaw all phases of delivery, including community consultation, material prototyping, engineering coordination, fabrication management and on-site installation. Working with trusted subcontractors such as Skyview Design and Build, Collide ensured the work was structurally robust, low-maintenance and designed to integrate with the existing trail infrastructure.