MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 Oct 2022
Interspecies relationships: human & grass
The Carbon_Dating project is a series of networked, experimental artworks situated through Queensland, that seek to shift attitudes towards the diverse Australian native grasses that grow in those regions. In this time of environmental stress, the project calls upon adventurous humans and vivacious grasses to collaborate together – to breath life into radically new kinds of relationships with each other.
By drawing upon indigenous cultural and scientific understandings and knowledges of grass and grasslands, and by incorporating sculpture, site-specific growing, networked technologies and artist-led provocations, we will develop a series of connected creative experiments and grass plantings spread across rural, regional and urban (Australia) - that together form the work Carbon Dating.
Stage one of this project includes both public and private site-specific grass plantings, and will be undertaken in Cairns, Miles, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Somerset over a 3-month period from September – December 2022.
At each of the project’s five sites we hold a small native grass planting event, and the project’s ‘Interweaver’ artwork is then given to Carbon Dating's local carer.
Keith Armstrong said,
“Despite grasses being one of the most critical plants for the survival of life on earth, our understanding and appreciation of them (beyond their use as animal fodder or lawn-making) remains limited.”
“By sponsoring the planting of small indigenous grassland areas and gardens, we seek to foster living sites for our art experiments; as we build a campaign built on partnership, respect and care.”
"Grasses are culturally important to healthy Country. By engaging local communities, deep seated traditional wisdoms and regional audiences with the ecological and cultural importance of native grasses we hope that: together this will help encourage the cultural change required to ‘re-introduce’ grasses into our ecological imaginations; asking, how might we ‘re-see’, ‘re-hear’ ‘re-engage and just maybe even fall ‘head over heels’ in love with native grasses.”
Stage two of the work will result in a series of gallery exhibitions at the hosting sites (2023-25) that reflect upon the processes and the art, science and culture of human-native grass relationships.
Visit project website for detailed information about the Carbon Dating project. Artists include Keith Armstrong, Donna Davis, Andrea Higgins, Daniele Constance and Luke Lickfold.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government: and Cairns Regional Council; and Western Downs Regional Council; and City of Gold Coast Council; and Somerset Regional Council; and Sunshine Coast Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
Thanks also to QUT (School of Creative Practice, QUT Office of eResearch and Samford Ecological Research Facility). NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Cairns; Dogwood Crossing Gallery, Miles; HOTA, Gold Coast; The Condensery, Toogooloowah; Caloundra Regional Gallery, Caloundra; Native Seeds Pty Ltd and ReBul Packaging.
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For further media information contact:
Dr Keith Armstrong
Phone: 0412 749 729
Email: keith@embodiedmedia.com
Carbon_Dating is an experimental artwork designed to seed ‘consensual’ partnerships between Australian native grasses and humans, based upon their shared need to breathe each other’s ‘exhaled’ air.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we live, work and create, including our collaborators on Yirrganydji, Barunggam, Jagera/Yuggera, Turbal, Ugarapul, Jinibara, Kabi Kabi and Kombumerri Country. We acknowledge their ongoing connection and custodianship for Country. We pay our deep respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We recognise First Nations people as the first artists and scientists. Always was, always will be.
The 2024-5 Carbon_Dating exhibition tour is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts QueenslandAssisted by QUT School of Creative Arts, International Art Services (IAS), Native Seeds Pty Ltd, Artfully, and Embodied Media.
Between 2019-23 this project was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. It was also supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government: Cairns Regional Council; Western Downs Regional Council; City of Gold Coast Council; Somerset Regional Council; and ArtsCoast as part of Sunshine Coast Council’s RADF program to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
Thanks also to QUT (School of Creative Arts, QUT Office of eResearch and Samford Ecological Research Facility). NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Cairns; Dogwood Crossing Gallery, Miles; HOTA, Gold Coast; The Condensery, Toogooloowah; Caloundra Regional Gallery, Caloundra; Native Seeds Pty Ltd and ReBul Packaging.
