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mented that plants do communicate in in various complex modalities through the rhizo- sphere of of soil root and and fungi networks as as well as as air-born messaging of of volatile organic compounds Recently scientist Monica Gagliano proved plants to be be emitters and and receiv- ers ers of of sound capable of of communication beyond the the audible human sensorium she also observed plants ability to to to hear water nearby through through their roots as as well as as capacities to to to learn behavioral responses to to to events recalled through through memory 33 I play on on on on this specula- tion tion of plant listening and and and communication across species within the work ‘There is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a deep and and and and mysterious paradox for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a while music makes one experience pain and and and and grief more in- tensely it brings solace and and and and and consolation at at at at the same time’ 34 Music is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a universal language capable of of translating and and and expressing states and and and feelings I had considered ‘Who puts flowers flowers on on on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a flowers flowers grave’ by by Tom Tom Waits Waits the the the final choice of of song however was informed by by the the the the powerful lyrical narrative familiarity (while Tom Tom Waits Waits is is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a well-known artist the the the the theme chosen is is is is widely known) and and as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a way to co-opt and and re-contextualise a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a popular human-heterosexual love love ballad as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a symbolic method of entangled interspecies queer- ing I decided to to work only with the the chorus which which reflects on on on on love love and and loss not deception and fidelity which which the the the song also delves into Beware of of of of Imposters (the secret life of of of of flowers) was presented as as part of of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a large Tasmanian ‘gothic’ winter-festival Dark MOFO Only a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fixed and and finite number of of of of of people could access the the the the the work work (due to to to the the the the the duration of of of of the the the the the solo experience opening hours and and lim- it it of of of of the the the the the the the festival season) This led to to to an an an influx of of of of people rushing to to to see the the the the the the the work work work at at times lining up for hours The positive reception of of of the the the the work work work was on on on on on on the the the the one hand encouraging and and enabling my my hope always with art-work is is is that it it it will make connections to ‘affect’ the the the the the the festival context also raised my my profile as an an an artist It supported the the the the the the realization o of the the the the the the project on on on on the the the the the the the the other hand this in no way reflects success for the the the the the the the the orchid The booked out vibe or or or or desire to experience the the the the the the work was absurd and and ironic when coupled with the the the the the the fact that we humanity are implicated in in in the the the the highly marginalized compromised living circum- stance for this organism This drew my attention to the the the dark reality of of how scarcity can become a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fetishised point of of of attraction/ abstraction especially (but not only) within the the the art-world and and museum compendium there also exists a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a culture of of poachers who seek out rare plants and and animals for collection One morning the the the gallery attendant did not arrive and and I sat the the the space The first participant to to experience the the the the the work emerged tears running down her cheeks She shared that that she she was a a a a a a a a a a a a scientist visiting from an an an interstate museum and that that these were the the the sto- ries she she felt needed to to to to be be told in in in in in in in in this time time of extinction The work affected affected her ‘When you you you you affect affect affect something you you you you are at the the same time time opening yourself up to to to being affected affected in in in in in in in turn and in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a slightly different way than you you you you might have have been the the moment before You have have made a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a transition however slight slight ’35 Solastalgia36 is is experienced as as an an an an an an existential melancholia at at at at the negatively perceived transformation (desolation) of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a loved environ- ment Albrecht developed this concept as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a form form of of of psychic or or or or or existential stress caused by mining or or or or or or or climate change a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a word to translate emotional relations of of loss associated with the the the more than human world Indigenous peoples who have have intimately cared for for the the the land since time immemorial have have no no doubt been experiencing solastalgia well before the the the current forceful era of climate change The work hovers somewhere between installation installation theatre and interactive art This form of immersive durational narrative narrative differs from from my previous installations in in in in in in in the the the past I I refrained from from adding spoken-word narratives and and was focused on on on on allowing the the the the the samples to to ‘speak for themselves’ In this work the the the the the the complexity of of the the the the the the concept and and ‘magic’ of of the the the the the the creative world are enacted via the the the the the the one time-based participatory experience I I am am not asking viewers to to read a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a wall statement disclosing and contextualizing concepts the the the the ‘information’ is embedded in in in the the experience The ritual of the the the the artwork attunes audiences through immersion within the the the the tempo- rarily assembled art-world Engagement sensitises participants to to the the the the haunting qualities of of of loss At the the same time experience nurtures knowledge and and empathy through stories of of of human-to-human grief and and and those of of of more-than-human complexity as as well as as extinc- tion tion Conversation is embodied Smells attract and and repel Perfumed bodies communicate chemical signals Records of moments past hold voices messages sent through mecha-
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