When Jørn Utzon won the legendary competition for designing the Sydney Opera in 1958, he approached Le Corbusier to create a tapestry for the foyer of the building. He couldn’t have imagined that it would take decades before this abstract work of art would be installed in its home. But the 6.5-square-metre wool tapestry, woven in France and entitled Les Dés Sont Jetés,’ was delivered to Utzon’s home in Denmark in 1959, with the intention to be transferred to the Opera House once the building was completed. Yet, once Utzon’s resigned from the Opera House project seven years later, frustrated by the complex engineering requirements and chastised by officials, he ensured that the transfer had never taken place. Last year, the tapestry was acquired at Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers for $400,000 through the support of Opera House donors, and now it was finally brought to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, highlighting Utzon’s vision of the interiors, which were meant to feature work by some of the best artists of the day.
