Matteo Dal Vera's photographic series, titled "Walking Along the Parramatta River," presents a nuanced and genuine portrayal of this significant waterway in Sydney. Rather than adopting a romanticized lens often associated with natural landscapes, Dal Vera’s work focuses on the lived experiences and subtle connections between the river and its surrounding industrial and urban environment. Commissioned by the Powerhouse Museum, this extensive project, spanning eighteen months, moves beyond mere documentation to become a thoughtful exploration of human interaction with a transformed landscape, offering an intimate glimpse into the diverse lives intertwined with the river's flow.
Dal Vera's initial approach to the project was unconventional; he began his journey not with a camera, but by simply walking and observing the river. His exploration started with a ferry ride from Circular Quay, culminating in a walk to Parramatta, where he traversed parklands, industrial zones, and even dense natural bushland. This immersive, camera-free period allowed him to absorb the authentic character of the river and its communities, shaping a perspective that would inform his subsequent photographic work. The resulting images defy the typical high-rise narrative often associated with Parramatta, dubbed Sydney's "second Central Business District," instead revealing a multifaceted urban tapestry.
The collection showcases understated portraits of individuals from various walks of life, alongside fleeting views of an evolving landscape and fragments of public spaces. These elements are bound not by a rigid storyline, but by a prevailing mood and ambient light, reflecting the transient nature of the river and its surroundings. Dal Vera's photographic philosophy centers on revealing the intricate relationship between the city's demands and their ecological consequences on the river, emphasizing that it is this human-river dynamic that renders the place truly distinctive.
The Powerhouse Museum, Australia's largest museum organization with four locations in Sydney, will open its newest branch, Powerhouse Parramatta, in 2026. This new institution will feature over 18,000 square meters of exhibition and public areas. Positioned as the first state cultural institution in Western Sydney and heralded as the most significant cultural infrastructure investment since the Sydney Opera House over five decades ago, it is expected to be transformative. However, Dal Vera’s body of work, created over an 18-month period, serves more as a deep reflection than a definitive pronouncement on the river's future.
Dal Vera deliberately avoids romanticizing Parramatta, acknowledging its industrial past and altered course rather than concealing them. He integrates industrial vestiges, ambiguous public infrastructure, and spontaneous human encounters into the emotional fabric of his work. Many photographs were taken along newly developed public walkways that trace the river's edge, spaces where diverse communities converge. Dal Vera ponders whether the river, in its unique capacity, might serve to bridge the very communities that urban design often separates.
The intimate nature of Dal Vera’s portraits is striking, capturing people of all ages and backgrounds in unposed, authentic moments. He illustrates this with an anecdote of a man initially perceived to have faced hardship, who was in fact a retired Reserve Bank economist enjoying a morning stroll. These subtle disjunctions between initial perception and underlying reality infuse his portraits with a compelling depth. Young people, too, feature prominently in his work, embodying notions of renewal, growth, and transformation. He notes the profound simplicity of focusing on fundamental aspects before life's complexities take their toll, akin to the river's inherent return to its essential state.
Whether depicting faces, botanical elements, or the river's surface, Dal Vera's images are characterized by an overarching intimacy, each meticulously framed to enclose the scene. He explains that his pursuit was to uncover connections within the images on a deeper plane, eschewing a linear narrative in favor of a sense of ephemerality, fluidity, and ambiguity. His goal was to cultivate an atmosphere rather than chronicle the river's history, not to idealize its appearance, but to illuminate the quiet yet persistent ways in which people maintain their bond with it, despite all changes.