Installation view, NorthSite Contemporary Arts
Photo: Michael Marzik
I am not a noun. I am an ecology.
FUTURE NOSTALGIA looks at emergent narratives of the future through our relationships to song, dance, craft, food, ecologies, ourselves and each other.
Drawing from evolutionary ecological research and restoration, speculative fiction, surrealism, eco-philosophy and biomimicry, FUTURE NOSTALGIA works to congeal multiple collaborating participants and networks of knowledge. These include multi-instrumentalist/artist Sue Simpson; evolutionary biologist Dr Katharina Nargar from the Australian Tropical Herbarium; JCU; krump dancer Thv Flood (Maxwell Douglas); resonance artist/harpist Natalia Lagi'itaua Mann; Kuku Yalanji Song Woman/Weaver Merindi Schrieber; harpist Loni Fitzpatrick; the Daintree Rainforest Observatory; the Forum of Sensory Motion; environmental scientist and rainforest seed specialist Michelle Chapman; and wild food researcher and chef Peter Hardwick amongst emerging others.
The future is not shiny. It is gritty and entangled.
Through Haywood’s process-driven ‘everyway’ weaving, she entwines research and immersion, craft thinking and making, film and sound, collaboration and collective tacit knowledge creation.
Cultivating places of care, regeneration and participation.
Part choose your own adventure, part lounge room, part library, part confessional booth and temple of veneration or mourning.
Haywood offers niches of comfort and decay. Through renderings of evolutionary adaptation, DIY maps of survival, embodied and eaten shared knowledge; a cradled space of coalescence is offered to inhabit.
As woven threads of coexistence coil alongside the mycorrhizal fungi midwives of orchid seed germination.
Tied in a single garment of destiny – through implicit ecology, mutualism and alchemy.
Detuning and retuning as a constant unfolding and divergence.
Installation view, NorthSite Contemporary Arts
Photo: Michael Marzik
Outer Space Gallery, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
adaptive dance, site-responsive music, score 19:32 mins, 3 way video 19:32 mins, installation, ecological edibles, sculptural weaving, DIY water harp catcher, costume
IMPLICIT ECOLOGY is phenomena. “Nature” self-assembling. Co-creating. Co-decaying. To become again. Together again.
Assemblages of ecologies as human, plant, animal, bacteria, archaea, beings, songs, food.
Dancers:
Maxwell Douglas (Thv Flood)
Lambert Majambele
Kaleb Addison-Ballangarry
Josh Simpson
Sonic Artists:
Sue Simpson
Natalia Mann
Merindi Davies
Loni Fitzpatrick
Charlotte Haywood
Self-assembly. Assemblage. Symbiont. Holobiont. Hologenome. Theory of evolution.
Orchids. Dr Katharina Nargar. Evolutionary Biologist.
Song. Music. Detune to tune in with nature as our teacher. Ecology. Art as conduit. Biomimicry.
Textiles. Costume. Installation. Sculpture.
Myco Punk. Reweaving. Reimagining. Future Nostalgia.
Outer Space Gallery, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
adaptive dance, site-responsive music, score 19:32 mins, 3 way video 19:32 mins, installation, ecological edibles, sculptural weaving, DIY water harp catcher, costume
IMPLICIT ECOLOGY is phenomena. “Nature” self-assembling. Co-creating. Co-decaying. To become again. Together again.
Assemblages of ecologies as human, plant, animal, bacteria, archaea, beings, songs, food.
Dancers:
Maxwell Douglas (Thv Flood)
Lambert Majambele
Kaleb Addison-Ballangarry
Josh Simpson
Sonic Artists:
Sue Simpson
Natalia Mann
Merindi Davies
Loni Fitzpatrick
Charlotte Haywood
Self-assembly. Assemblage. Symbiont. Holobiont. Hologenome. Theory of evolution.
Orchids. Dr Katharina Nargar. Evolutionary Biologist.Song. Music. Detune to tune in with nature as our teacher. Ecology. Art as conduit. Biomimicry.Textiles. Costume. Installation. Sculpture.Myco Punk. Reweaving. Reimagining. Future Nostalgia.
Outer Space Gallery, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
adaptive dance, site-responsive music, score 19:32 mins, 3 way video 19:32 mins, installation, ecological edibles, sculptural weaving, DIY water harp catcher, costume
IMPLICIT ECOLOGY is phenomena. “Nature” self-assembling. Co-creating. Co-decaying. To become again. Together again.
Assemblages of ecologies as human, plant, animal, bacteria, archaea, beings, songs, food.
Dancers:
Maxwell Douglas (Thv Flood)
Lambert Majambele
Kaleb Addison-Ballangarry
Josh Simpson
Sonic Artists:
Sue Simpson
Natalia Mann
Merindi Davies
Loni Fitzpatrick
Charlotte Haywood
Self-assembly. Assemblage. Symbiont. Holobiont. Hologenome. Theory of evolution.
Orchids. Dr Katharina Nargar. Evolutionary Biologist.Song. Music. Detune to tune in with nature as our teacher. Ecology. Art as conduit. Biomimicry.Textiles. Costume. Installation. Sculpture.Myco Punk. Reweaving. Reimagining. Future Nostalgia.
Outer Space Gallery, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
Installation
19:32 multi channel HD video with sound, found high vis wear, woollen mattress protector, mesh, shoe laces, hemp canvas, gourd, camp chair, gifted abalone shells, stainless steel, bamboo
Photo: Louis Lim
Firstdraft Gallery
driftwood, copper wire, found copper funnel, cast Northern NSW beach sand, demijohn, BBQ, copper pipe, copper flat bar 140cm x 80cm x 80cm
Assemblage DIY water collector, inspired by pine needles abilities to capture moisture from the air into droplets. Photograph: Hamish McCormick
Firstdraft Gallery
driftwood, copper wire, found copper funnel, cast Northern NSW beach sand, demijohn, BBQ, copper pipe, copper flat bar
140cm x 80cm x 80cm
Assemblage DIY water collector, inspired by pine needles abilities to capture moisture from the air into droplets.
Photograph: Hamish McCormick
with Michelle Chapman (Rainforest seed collector + propagator specialist, Co-Author of Australian Rainforest Seeds: A Guide to Collecting, Processing and Propagation)
wild harvested clay from home (Koonyum Range), seeds and ideas collected via Northern Rivers forest community network for “biome hyphae” (nendo dango- Fukuoka) for future: beings, food, resilience, pollination, soil structure, humus, habitat, smell, weed control, aesthetic, hug-ability:
FOOD: Bunyah Nut (Araucaria bidwillii), Blue Flax Lily (Dianella caerulea), Riberry (Syzygium luehmanii), Davidsons Plum (Davidsonia jerseyana), Plum pine (podacarpus elatus), Fruit Screw Palm (Pandanus spiralis), coconut (Cocos nucifera), Banana (Musa acuminata)
OTHER BEINGS: Broad-leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca quiquenervia), Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), Riberry (Syzygium luehmanii), Silly Myrtle (Decapermum humile), Riberry (Syzygium luehmanii)
SMELL: lemon scented gum (Corymbia citriodora), Riberry (Syzygium luehmanii), Native Frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum)
USEFUL: Broad-leaved Paperbark (Melaleuca quiquenervia), Firewheel (Stenocarpus sinuatus), Pink Euodia (Melicope elleryana), River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Native Ginger (Alpinia caerulea), Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys), Forest Oak ( Casuarina torulosa), Sweet pettorsporum (Pittosporum undulatum), Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), Blue Quandong (Elaeocarpus grandis), Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coranata), Deciduous Fig (Ficus superba), Fruit Screw Palm (Pandanus spiralis), coconut (Cocos nucifera), Banana (Musa acuminata), Bull Kauri (Agathis microstachya)
RESILIENCE + RESTORATION: Coastal She-oak (Casuarina equisetifolia), Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus), Forest Mat Rush (Lomandra spicata), Penta Ash (Pentaceras austral)
…
collected paperbark- Bundjalung Country, found mirror
Symbiogenesis is the idea that life emerged from and evolved through cellular symbiosis.
‘Symbiosis was the major driver of evolutionary change.’
- Biologist Lynn Margulis challenged the dominant late 20th century biology credo of ‘survival of the fittest’. At a time when male neo-Darwinists dominated the field, and when the assumption of a natural marriage of evolution and competition – and, by extension, progress and the values of capitalism – went largely unquestioned, Margulis pushed symbiogenesis despite fervent professional rejection.
Margulis first made the case for endosymbiosis theory in the 1960s- whereby symbionts become so co-dependent on each other that they merge into one organism.
This process, known as endosymbiosis, led to the creation of new organisms with novel traits and abilities. For example, mitochondria and chloroplasts, the energy-producing organelles found in eukaryotic cells, are thought to have originated from endosymbiotic relationships between bacteria and ancient proto-eukaryotic cells billions of years ago. Margulis's theory helped to reshape our understanding of how life evolved on Earth.
Photograph: Hamish McCormick
with Peter Hardwick (wild food researcher/chef)
crucifix orchid (Epidendrum radicans), vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia) seeds, blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum), aged pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) syrup, aged pandanus (Pandanus spiralis) vinegar, wild kombucha activated (9 years old) pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) liquor, agar agar, coconut
Trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea and eukaryotic organisms live within our gut microbiome. These organisms represent over 50% of the cells found within the human body and weigh up to 2 kg in an average adult.
The theatre of microbe activity influences our own ecology.
Gut microbes can produce hormones and neurotransmitters that are identical to those produced by humans. Through these varied mechanisms, gut microbes shape the architecture of sleep and stress. They influence memory, mood, and cognition.
Sandor Ellix Katz, a fermentation revivalist, has delved into the philosophical and biological aspects of the origins of multicellular life. He highlights how fermenting foods, a multi-species activity, has played a pivotal role in the evolution of microbes, our bodies, and even our culture.
Around 4.82 billion years ago, chemical compounds in the primordial soup were reacting and replicating, eventually forming cells which became the first microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. These microorganisms produced energy through fermentation or anaerobic metabolism, which is the production of energy without oxygen through the transformative action of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and archaea.
Photograph: Hamish McCormick
banana fibre processed with Helle Jorgensen, agave fibre-collected in Mexico, raffia-shredded leaves of the palmyra palm native to Madagascar, cotton sash cord, stainless steel, LED
60cm x 68cm x 18cm
Armature: Edward Horne (Horne Art Studio)
Photo: Michael Marzik
banana fibre processed with Helle Jorgensen, agave fibre-collected in Mexico, raffia-shredded leaves of the palmyra palm native to Madagascar, coconut coir fibre Sri Lanka (Araliya Cooperative), cotton sash cord, found high vis shoelaces, found woollen mattress protector, found high vis sportwear, stainless steel, LED
57cm x 52cm x 20cm
Armature: Edward Horne (Horne Art Studio)
Photo: Michael Marzik
Detail
banana fibre processed with Helle Jorgensen, agave fibre-collected in Mexico, raffia-shredded leaves of the palmyra palm native to Madagascar, coconut coir fibre Sri Lanka (Araliya Cooperative), cotton sash cord, found high vis shoelaces, found woollen mattress protector, found high vis sportwear, stainless steel, LED
57cm x 52cm x 20cm
Armature: Edward Horne (Horne Art Studio)
Photo: Louis Lim
banana fibre processed with Helle Jorgensen, agave fibre-collected in Mexico, raffia-shredded leaves of the palmyra palm native to Madagascar, coconut coir fibre Sri Lanka (Araliya Cooperative), cotton sash cord, found high vis shoelaces, found woollen mattress protector, found high vis sports wear, stainless steel, LED
60cm x 32cm x 45cm
Armature: Edward Horne (Horne Art Studio)
Photo: Michael Marzik
banana fibre processed with Helle Jorgensen, agave fibre-collected in Mexico, raffia-shredded leaves of the palmyra palm native to Madagascar, coconut coir fibre Sri Lanka (Araliya Cooperative), cotton sash cord, found high vis shoelaces, found woollen mattress protector, found high vis sportwear, stainless steel
57cm x 52cm x 20cm
ARMATURE: Edward Horne (Horne Art Studio)
Photograph: Hamish McCormick
Outer Space Gallery, Judith Wright Contemporary Arts
found high vis wear, woollen mattress protector, shoe laces, hemp canvas
Photo: Louis Lim
Article by Douglas Rushkoff on Future Nostalgia
Douglas Rushkoff is an American media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, and documentarian. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture and his advocacy of open-source solutions to social problems.
Rushkoff is most frequently regarded as a media theorist and is known for coining terms and concepts including viral media (or media virus), digital native, and social currency.
Rushkoff is currently Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics at the City University of New York, Queens College. He has previously lectured at The New School University in Manhattan and the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he created the Narrative Lab. In 2012, Rushkoff was declared the sixth most influential thinker in the world by MIT Technology Review.
https://rushkoff.com/
@douglasrushkoff
Photo: Louis Lim
found high vis wear, dried turmeric with leaves attached, woollen mattress protector, raffia, mesh, shoe laces, hemp canvas
found high vis wear, woollen mattress protector, mesh, gifted abalone shell, dragon fruit roots
found high vis wear, applied lace from ball gown, woollen mattress protector, raffia, mesh, shoe laces, hemp canvas
Install detail
Networks of Knowledge Holders, Makers, Activists, Dreamers, Books, Atlas, Articles, Plants, Seeds…
Photograph: Hamish McCormick
with Sue Simpson
participatory performance, saw, vintage lace dress, high vis sportswear, shells, mesh, raffia, stainless steel, found chair, sprouted coconut, 2 channel video, sound, driftwood, BBQ, copper funnel, copper wire, moulded collected beach sand, demijohn, water
variable
Photograph: Hamish McCormick
found decayed lounge chair, sprouted coconut
Photograph: Hamish McCormick