Anne Zahalka, Marble Foyer – Parliament House, 2014, 2014, inkjet print, 80 x 160cm, Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra.
ANNE ZAHALKA has recently completed a commission for Parliament House in Canberra, marking its 25th Anniversary. The series of photographs will go into the Parliament House Collection, as part of the commission.
Zahalka’s work explores all levels of the Parliament building from the subterranean basement to the monumental marble foyer, reflecting on the role staff play in securing, maintaining and breathing life into its hallowed halls. This includes the varied tasks undertaken each and every day, such as maintaining the building, its grounds and collections, as well as providing services to parliamentarians, workers and visitors. Zahalka truly captures and highlights Parliament House not merely as a piece of architecture or the seat of our government, but as a place, a symbiosis of people, power and architecture.