Photo Essay | Dennis Golding, Bingo | The Neighbour at the Gate

Artist Dennis Golding invited exhibition curatorium member Micheal Do and NAS Curator, Exhibitions, Lucy Latella for an intimate look at his work Bingo (2025), commissioned for our upcoming exhibition The Neighbour at the Gate and produced at the National Art School with the assistance of master printer and artist Janet Parker-Smith (pictured); Carolyn Mckenzie-Craig, NAS Head of Printmaking; and Rebecca O’Shea, NAS Printmaking Studio Technician.

Bingo (2025) is a ten-metre-long wall installation by Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding that draws from his recollections of family 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.

Bingo offers no easy nostalgia. It speaks of strength formed in closeness, of laughter shared across tables, of walls that held community, not confinement. It is a tender monument to survival, made from the small, enduring things that hold us.

‘It wasn’t about winning, but the feeling of freedom and connection.’

– Dennis Golding

Bingo was commissioned by the National Art School Gallery for the major exhibition The Neighbour at the Gate (11 July – 18 October 2025) with proud support by the NSW Government through the Blockbusters Funding initiative. It was produced at the National Art School with the assistance of master printer and artist Janet Parker-Smith; Carolyn Mckenzie-Craig, NAS Head of Printmaking; and Rebecca O’Shea, NAS Printmaking Studio Technician.

Photography by Peter Morgan.