Burnside Village has taken a bold artistic leap, unveiling a curated collection of five public sculptures that blur the boundary between retail space and cultural experience.
In partnership with Guildhouse, South Australia’s peak body for visual art, craft and design, the precinct now serves as a gallery for contemporary Australian talent, transforming everyday encounters into moments of unexpected wonder.
At the heart of this collection is Light Shifter (Nexus) II by renowned Tarntanya/Adelaide artist Jason Sims, a captivating exploration of light, illusion, and the relationship between space and perception.
Sims, known for his long-standing practice in perceptual art, brings over 15 years of experimentation with light and reflection to this project. His work has evolved from wall-based illusion pieces into large-scale sculptural installations that inhabit public realms across Adelaide.
His most notable commissions include two major installations marking Adelaide’s Market to Riverbank link, one at Bank Street near the train station and another just outside the Central Market on Grote Street.
These works, like the Burnside Village installation toy with geometric form and illusion, often create the sense of a floating, internal object suspended in space.
“Light Shifter (Nexus) II is a continuation of my broader practice.
“I’ve always been interested in perspective and the representation of space. Using light and reflection, I create environments that explore the interconnectedness of the internal and the external, the physical and the psychological.
“It feels very much like it’s meant to be there. It looks like it’s in the right place,” Mr Sims said.
The sculpture installed in Burnside Village was originally derived from an earlier work of Sims’, but was reimagined to harmonise with the architecture of the shopping centre, specifically its iconic glass-paneled roof structure.
“The piece mirrors the geometry of the roof, the angles and the light. It feels very much like it’s meant to be there. It looks like it’s in the right place,” Mr Sims said.
The installation offers a unique visual experience. Mirror and light converge to create an illusion of depth, of a form that exists within itself. The interplay encourages the viewer to slow down, shift perspective, and reconsider the space they occupy.
“I like working with illusion for its seductive qualities and its ability to confuse the senses.
“It’s playful and wondrous… but I also want people to feel something, to let their imagination take over, to get lost in the moment and just enjoy the experience,” Mr Sims said.
Cohen Group CEO Gregg Downer echoes this sentiment, celebrating the artworks as a way to “offer moments of unexpected beauty and contemplation for visitors” while transforming Burnside Village into a “vibrant hub of cultural discovery.”
Sims’ process is both conceptual and methodical, rooted in mathematics, physics, and an archive of past experimentation.
Yet what emerges is profoundly human. His work doesn’t just sit within the space, it alters it.
Sims is one of five unique artists commissioned for pieces for display at Burnside Village, strategically placed around the centre.
Each piece is a unique commission, crafted by South Australia’s most acclaimed artistic talents, promising to elevate the shopping precinct beyond a retail destination into a vibrant hub of cultural discovery.
