Visual Art

Deja vu

This installation captures the uncanny recognition often felt while exploring foreign cities—the odd familiarity of a new place that sparks old memories. Inspired by such moments, it reflects on how time of day, transport, mood, weather, architecture, and people can provoke this sensation. Anchored in a personal memory from a French city that stirred recollections of an Australian street, the piece features a single carriageway with street names from these déjà vu moments, like Thomas Street in Australia and Rue de Pouillon in France.

Along the route, each car symbolises one of these familiar places; stepping into the “French” car, for instance, reveals the view from the “Australian” car and vice versa. And through it all, a radio plays as a reminder that some experiences transcend place.