Yuriyal Bridgeman’s monumental installation SUNA (Middle Ground) (2020) is a beacon for storytelling, idea-sharing, and connection. In the video below, the artist discusses his intentions for the work as well as sharing insights into aspects of the installation.
The artwork has been installed on the front lawn of UQ Art Museum throughout Semester 2, 2025, and brings a traditional Papua New Guinea Highlands round house (raun haus) to the heart of the busy St Lucia campus. The artwork is a replica of the artist’s home in PNG, which is also the home of Bridgeman’s extended family, the Yuri Alaiku tribe, and his renowned practice in the Waghi Valley, PNG, where it serves as the meeting point for the Haus Yuriyal collective. More than just their studio, the raun haus is a safe place to gather in times of tribal warfare, as well as to share and exchange cultural knowledge through artmaking.
Audiences are invited by the artist to step into SUNA (Middle Ground) in the spirit of original as an action to connect, share, and exchange, to overcome difference and create pathways of deeper understanding of one another.
Hear more from the artist in the video below.
