Man on Fire will bring Arthur Boyd and Shaun Gladwell into dialogue at Bundanon from 4 July to 11 October 2026, exploring power and renewal.
Winter settles differently in the Shoalhaven. Morning mist lingers over the river flats, the surrounding escarpments fade in and out of view, and the landscape seems to hold its breath between seasons. It is in this atmosphere of reflection and stillness that Man on Fire will arrive at Bundanon, inviting visitors into a conversation that stretches across generations, artistic disciplines and enduring questions of human nature.
Opening on 4 July 2026 and running through to 11 October, Man on Fire: Visions of Nebuchadnezzar will bring together the work of one of Australia's most influential painters, Arthur Boyd, and a significant new commission by contemporary artist Shaun Gladwell. Set within Bundanon’s striking Art Museum, the exhibition will unfold against the landscape that shaped Boyd's artistic vision and continues to inspire artists today.
Rather than presenting a simple retrospective or contemporary response, Man on Fire will create a dialogue between two artists grappling with ideas of power, exile, identity and transformation. Visitors will encounter works separated by decades yet connected by a shared curiosity about what happens when certainty gives way to reckoning.
Man On Fire And The Story Of Nebuchadnezzar
At the centre of Man on Fire is Arthur Boyd’s celebrated Nebuchadnezzar series, created largely in the United Kingdom during the 1960s.
The works draw from the Biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar, a ruler whose pride leads to divine punishment. Cast from power and condemned to live like an animal in the wilderness for seven years, the king's fall becomes a meditation on arrogance, vulnerability and redemption.
Boyd approached the story not as a religious illustration but as a human drama. His Nebuchadnezzar wanders through landscapes that feel both real and psychological, suspended between civilisation and wilderness.
Decades after their creation, the paintings continue to resonate because they ask questions that remain familiar. How does power shape identity? What remains when status and certainty disappear? Can transformation emerge from exile?
These themes form the foundation upon which Man on Fire will build its contemporary perspective.
A Contemporary Response In Man On Fire
In direct response to Boyd’s works, Shaun Gladwell has created a major new commission developed during a residency at Bundanon.
Gladwell’s connection to the project runs deeper than artistic admiration. With family roots in the Shoalhaven and a longstanding interest in Boyd’s practice, he brings an intimate understanding of both the landscape and the ideas that underpin the exhibition.
Throughout his career, Gladwell has explored the ways identity is performed, challenged and transformed. His work often examines physical endurance, ritual, movement and the evolving nature of masculinity. These concerns align naturally with Boyd’s portrayal of Nebuchadnezzar, a figure stripped of authority and confronted with his own fragility.
Within Man on Fire, Gladwell’s commission will not seek to replicate Boyd’s vision. Instead, it will offer a contemporary reflection on the same enduring themes, creating a conversation between past and present that feels both personal and universal.
The result will be an exhibition that invites visitors to move between different artistic languages while considering shared human experiences.
The Bundanon Landscape
The setting of Man on Fire is impossible to separate from the exhibition itself.
Located on the banks of the Shoalhaven River near Illaroo, Bundanon occupies a landscape that Arthur Boyd gifted to the Australian people. The property remains both a cultural institution and a living environment where art and nature exist in constant dialogue.
Visitors arriving during winter will encounter rolling hills softened by seasonal light, riverbanks edged with mist and native bushland stretching towards distant ridgelines. These surroundings continue to influence artists working at Bundanon today, just as they influenced Boyd throughout his life.
The Art Museum sits carefully within this landscape, its architecture designed to complement rather than dominate the environment. Large windows frame views of Country, reminding visitors that the questions explored inside the galleries remain connected to the world beyond them.
For many, the journey to Bundanon will become part of the exhibition experience itself.
Opening Weekend For Man On Fire
The opening weekend of Man on Fire on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July 2026 will offer visitors the opportunity to engage directly with artists, performers and cultural practitioners.
Saturday's program will begin with a Smoking Ceremony presented by Gadhungal Marring, followed by a Welcome to Country from Uncle Gerry Moore and opening remarks from Bundanon CEO Rachel Kent.
Throughout the day, artist talks, conversations and live performances will deepen the themes explored within the exhibition. Visitors will hear insights into Shaun Gladwell’s creative practice and the development of his new commission while experiencing live works presented within the museum itself.
A new performance by Roslyn Orlando will add another dimension to the opening celebrations, while ambient music from Russ W Duo will carry through the afternoon, echoing the rhythms of the surrounding South Coast landscape.
Sunday will shift towards community participation with a Bundanon Blak workshop led by Janet Fieldhouse, alongside live music performances and opportunities to spend time exploring both the exhibition and the wider property.
Event Details
Event: Man on Fire: Visions of Nebuchadnezzar
Dates: 4 July – 11 October 2026
Opening Weekend: Saturday 4 July & Sunday 5 July 2026
Location: Bundanon Art Museum, 170 Riversdale Road, Illaroo NSW
Opening Weekend Admission: Free entry to the Art Museum
Official Website: https://www.bundanon.com.au