The Pallion Foundation’s most significant philanthropic gift to date has been to the Art Gallery of NSW’s (AGNSW) Sydney Modern Project.

The gift of the Pallion Garden Terrace sits between the old Naala Nura and new Naala Badu buildings, flanking Jonathan Jones’ First Nations Garden. This terrace will be an outdoor sculpture terrace for everyone to enjoy and is one of the most important elements – with landscape design by Kathryn Gustafson – shaping the art gallery’s campus.

“The Art Gallery of New South Wales has always been an important space for our families. For us, the Pallion Garden Terrace represents the melding of the old and new, standing as it does between the original and new gallery buildings.”

“We value art in our everyday lives and are thrilled to support the Art Gallery in what we know will be an intergenerational, legacy philanthropic partnership for the benefit of communities not just in NSW but throughout Australia.” – Andrew Cochineas, Pallion CEO.

In addition to the Pallion Garden Terrace, Pallion has also supported AGNSW with recent acquisitions for its permanent collection. Pallion most recently supported the gallery with the acquisition of Jeffrey Gibson’s Speaking to the Trees Kissing the Ground (2022).

The National Art School (NAS) is one of Australia’s most respected tertiary level art schools with impressive alumni including Margaret Olley, John Olsen, Tim Storrier, Cressida Campbell and Guido Maestri.

NAS’ unique studio-based teaching model sets it apart, supporting students in sharing their art globally and shaping them to be the next generation of contemporary artists.

Pallion values art and annually supports NAS’ graduate shows. The shows are pivotal in showcasing the works of Australia’s finest, emerging artists. Pallion wishes to ensure that NAS continues to thrive in teaching the future generation of Australian contemporary artists.

Pallion is proud of its latest art partnership with the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). Pallion will be supporting the NGA in its staging of an exhibition of Lindy Lee’s work to coincide with the opening of Ouroboros, the major public sculptural work by Lee commissioned for the National Sculpture Garden to celebrate the gallery’s 40th anniversary. Both Ouroboros and the exhibition, titled ‘Lindy Lee’, will open to the public on October 25, 2024.

As part of Pallion’s new Arts Program, Lee and Pallion created a gold companion creation to Ouroboros. Made from more than 50kg of pure ABC Bullion Australian gold, the sculpture, titled Abundance, will go on public display at the NGA through a permanent loan arrangement from October 28, 2024.

Abundance draws inspiration from Ouroboros, Lee’s most ambitious work to date, mimicking the ancient image of a snake eating its own tail, referencing birth and death, renewal, regeneration and transcendence.

Pallion Group CEO, Andrew Cochineas said, “To launch our National Gallery partnership with Lindy Lee, Australia’s most significant contemporary artist, is a privilege and aligns perfectly with the Pallion Arts Program – a program aimed at developing art for all Australians to enjoy.”

“Precious metals have been used by civilisations for centuries to create art. Our aim is to give Australian artists the opportunity to continue that legacy by giving them access to precious metals that they might otherwise be precluded from working with.”

“We hope that our partnership with the National Gallery will inspire collaboration, push artistic boundaries, and bring further recognition to Australian art globally.”

Pallion will also support the NGA’s 2024 Gala, and Annual Lecture which will be delivered by Lee on October 24, 2024. The Annual Lecture, first presented in 1983, invites leading art world thinkers to present new ideas in the field of art and art history.

The artisans of Pallion have also collaborated with Lee on limited-edition objet d’art and jewellery collections. Lee has chosen to direct funds generated by these pieces to the NGA’s cultural programming.