Crumbling Ecologies Opens at Craft Victoria!

I was thrilled and overwhelmed by the floods of people that came to the opening of Crumbling Ecologies at Craft Victoria. 

The exhibition was opened by Grace Cochrane, former senior curator from the Powerhouse Museum Sydney. Grace gave insight into the unfolding story behind the works. To read Grace's Speech click here- http://www.crumblingecologies.blogspot.com.au/p/speech-notes-by-grace-cochrane.html

It was great getting to see all of the makers from the project come together for the opening and finally get to meet!

All of Melbourne's art school community of movers and shakers filled the space with lively debate about the ongoing issues the work raises....

 Above, one of the Project participants artist Suse Scholem talking about how the work was made and the delicacy of the porcelain leaves.

Getting down and dirty... taking a closer look... and selecting a few to take home.

 

I visited the work today at Craft Victoria and was delighted to see that lots of the leaves have been collected and taken home by the audience. Its exciting to see the work evolving and taking on a new life as it reaches out to the community. If you happen to have taken some leaves, please email us an image of where your lives have found their home in your life - jasminetargett (at) hotmail (dot) com

why geraniums

In many parts of the world there are species of geranium that are critically endangered or extinct. The garden geranium is on the Australian National Heritage Trust’s Alert List for Environmental Weeds that threaten biodiversity and cause environmental damage[1]. Soon to become a huge pest to Victoria’s native flora and fauna, they are one of the most popular commercially sold garden plants. In Victoria, geraniums sit ambiguously between a plant and a weed, deriving connotations of being out-dated and old fashioned. One of the key arguments used to justify the closure of media based studios including glass, ceramics and metals is that they have become out-dated and no longer relevant to contemporary arts practice and research. Geraniums signify the economic impact on the ecological equilibrium and the importance of preserving craft as a diverse form of contemporary arts practice within Victoria.

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[1]http://www.weeds.gov.au/publications/guidelines/alert/p-alchemilloides.html, Australian Government, Department of Environment and Heritage- CRC Australian Weed Management.