Carbon Dating is a hybrid arts project that seeks to shift our relationships to Australia’s native grasses and grasslands, which are under severe and often unacknowledged threat.
The project will be conducted simultaneously with five regional communities (Somerset, Cairns, Miles, Sunshine & Gold Coast) to foster understanding of how to better care for grasses and grasslands.
A grassland garden will be planted at each of the sites and cared for by a team of local artists in collaboration with the project’s lead artists Keith Armstrong, Donna Davis and Daniele Constance.
Jinibara artist Jason Murphy and emerging local artist Pipier Weller will care for the grassland garden planted at The Condensery and create a responsive artwork to feature in a planned touring exhibition in 2023/4.
A sculptural object, Interweaver, shown in The Condensery’s foyer will depict images of a grassland patch grown at Samford Ecological Research Station and encourage visitors and the artists to engage with it and the grassland garden planted at The Condensery.
A series of talks and activities will take place over the project’s duration.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. This project is also supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
IMAGE: Personal Interweaver (detail view), Carbon Dating Project, donna davis, 2022. Photo donna davis
