Dennis Golding making 'Bingo'

Bingo (2025) is a ten-metre-long wall installation by Kamilaroi/​​Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding, commissioned for The Neighbour at the Gate at NAS Gallery in 2025. The work recalls Dennis’ childhood memories of bingo nights hosted by his nan and aunty on Eveleigh Street in Redfern, Sydney. Gathering in an abandoned terrace house, they stitched together joy from what little they had; cutting game cards from cardboard, running power through borrowed cords, and making space for community.

The brick-like etchings and copper plates resemble the terracotta terraces of Redfern – a vital site of Aboriginal community and resistance, where Dennis was raised.

Each card tells a family story: cats curled on sun-warmed steps, the long coil of a corded phone, letters opened slowly, a cup of tea cooling by the sink, the quiet rattle of fishing gear. Earthy tones recall the walls of Dennis’ childhood and the ochres of Aboriginal art, while blue and red ink – reminiscent of biro – echoes the everyday. Some surfaces bear the dust of soil pressed gently into the paper, a residue of place.

Scroll through the photos below of Dennis making Bingo at the National Art School with the assistance of master printmaker Janet Parker-Smith, and sharing the process with exhibition co-curator Micheal Do and NAS Gallery Curator, Lucy Latella.