Resonance is a permanent outdoor sculpture by Ursula Johnson. Some of the wood featured in the sculpture was reclaimed from the banister in the original Holy Angels convent and from the hull of the legendary Nova Scotian ship the Bluenose. This work invites reflection on the layered histories of Sydney’s North End: the clamour and rhythm of a century of steel production, contrasted with the measured hours and intellectual discipline of Holy Angels, and it rings now for contemporary art and social change.
Resonance plays on both meanings of its title — resonance as a deep, reverberating sound, and as a lingering emotional impression. As sunlight and weather move across its surface, the piece stands as a vessel for memory, imagination, and transformation.
Unveiled in 2021, Resonance was Johnson’s first permanent public artwork. That day, as artists, neighbours, and the community gathered to ring the bell for the first time, a new sound entered the rhythm of the neighbourhood.
