Yininmadyemi - Thou didst let fall
| 'Yininmadyemi' - Thou didst let fall | |
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| Artist | Tony Albert |
| Year | 2015 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Location | Hyde Park, Sydney, Australia |
| 33°52′30.7″S 151°12′35.9″E / 33.875194°S 151.209972°E | |
Yininmadyemi - Thou didst let fall is a sculptural artwork by Indigenous Australian artist Tony Albert located in Hyde Park, Sydney. Unveiled on 31 March 2015, the artwork acknowledges the service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women in the Australian Defence Force.
The word Yininmadyemi is taken from an indigenous language of Sydney and translates as 'Thou Didst Let Fall'. The translation is sourced from the writings of Second Lieutenant William Dawes who recorded the local language and culture of the Aboriginal people of Sydney in the late 18th century. The sculpture's title is an example of poetic metonymy and is used to enhance the artwork's commemorative purpose.
Yininmadyemi - Thou didst let fall is composed of four seven-metre tall bullets made of painted aluminium, black marble and Corten steel standing beside three fallen shell casings. The bullets and shell casings are arranged upon a crushed granite base that is in the shape of a boomerang. Albert's design for this sculptural memorial is inspired by international memorials such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.
The bullets featured in the artwork are modelled on the .303 round, the 'standard small-arms ammunition used by the Australian military in the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean War'. Albert chose to use the bullet in his design as a universal symbol for conflict and a metaphor for human existence. The arrangement of bullets and shell casings sit atop a boomerang shaped base. The shape of the base recalls the boomerangs that were given by some families to soldiers who left for war as a symbol of hope for their safe return.
The base of one of the fallen shell casings features an inscription that was written by Albert in collaboration with Indigenous Australian author Anita Heiss. The inscription honours the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women who have served in nearly every conflict and peace keeping mission that Australia has participated in since the beginning of the twentieth century. The text also acknowledges the racial discrimination experienced by many Indigenous veterans, whose service was not adequately recognised for many decades.
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