LEARNINGS
You can view our comprehensive archived collection of writing, video and reflection from both stages of Carbon_Dating: and the wisdom emerging from grassland cultures, art and science
Art, culture,
cultivation &
care for Australian
native grasses
& grasslands
Archive for Carbon_Dating: a 2023-2025 Australian contemporary art + environment + culture project.
Stage 1 engaged the public in learning about, and caring for native grasses through art and plant growing - thereby building a 'community of care' around native grass and grasslands. Stage 2 involved commissioning, and national and international touring of a major exhibition of artworks inspired by the project's learnings.
Visit the Stage 1 Australian project sites that inspired this project. Meet the people & native grasses the project engaged. View the artworks that these rich human-nonhuman relationships inspired
Connect!Meet the six stunning Australian grasses this project engaged with. Seek out their kin in your own locality and begin your own relationship with local grasses and grasslands
Imagine!Browse Stage 2 exhibition catalogue, read native grass-themed essays, articles & images and informative videos. Learn how plants shape worlds, care for us & deserve our attention & respect
Immerse!In September 2025 Carbon_Dating finished its two year exhibition tour after 8 successful shows. Thank you for all the amazing support over the past two years.
View some of the daily updates we broadcasted during project Stage 1 (2022-3) from our grassland site at Samford, including 24 hour timelapses squeezed into 5 mins. Sound track were composed/assembled using custom software driven by real time weather data recorded from that site.
Themeda triandra: We aim to inspire the planting of this grass in gardens and grasslands. Get dirty
Capillipedium spicigerum - An iconic, subtle, grass that would perfectly complement many flower beds
Cymbopogon refractus - Aptly named, easy to grow and and a powerful textural component to your grassland
Dicanthium sericeum. A potent little gem that will have you breaking your back in admiration of its florets
Heteropogon contortus - Northern Australian resident. A dynamic, assertive, exciting grass companion
Astrebla lappacea - Loves the cracking clay plains way out west. Struggles with wet feet. Place is everything
Watch 4 short videos about how we setup and ran
the first phase of the Carbon_Dating project (2021-23)
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Project documents overviewing achievements
and/or informing our early process (2020-23)
Even though the project has finished, we would still love to hear about your connections to Australian native grasses - or the grasses native to your country. Let's work together to build change. Please drop us a line today.
Carbon_Dating was an experimental artwork process (2021-4) 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 was 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.
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