Creating positivity out of toxicity
Artists from Good Bank Gallery in McLaren Vale are collaborating with The Wild South on a series of events to highlight the devastating impact of the algal bloom on South Australia’s once beautiful coastline.
Part of this year’s Nature Festival, TOXIC SURF (Mid Coast) will feature workshops, exhibitions, a parade and film screenings.
“We wanted to bring about a sense of coming together through the ecological crisis we’re all going through, and address the hopelessness and grief everyone is feeling,” organiser Zoe Brooks says.
“The aim is to create a space for people to come together to mourn, but also to bring about a sense of hope.
“We want to connect with the community initiatives that are happening – coastal clean ups and planting sea grass – and acknowledge all the research that has been carried out.”
To launch the events, the community will have the opportunity to participate in ocean lantern-making workshops on September 27 and October 4, 11am to 3pm.
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Artist Mark Timberlake will be joined by local artists from Community Contemporary Inc. and environmental stewards from The Wild South and Experiencing Marine Sanctuaries, to make ocean-themed illuminated sculptures and lanterns.
The lanterns will then be used at the TOXIC SURF Roving Community Art Oceanic Lantern Performance on October 10 at 6pm, where the story of the harmful algal bloom Karenia Mikimotoi and its devastating impact on the South Australian coastline and community will be shared.
Ngarrindjeri Elder Mark Koolmatrie will weave the Dreaming story of Kondoli, the whale who brought fire, as the community welcomes the migrating whales on their journey from the southern waters into the Gulf.
“We also have powerful screenings of local films,” Zoe says. “Surfers for Climate has created a film called Sea-Sick and and local artist Henry Jock Walker with Open Space Contemporary Arts will be showcasing their local film, Triggs Two, which is a local surf break.
“A choir will be performing a song about the bloom as well.”
The TOXIC SURF Community Art Exhibition will feature local artists, community stories, grassroots environmental initiatives, community action groups and the science behind the algal bloom. The exhibition will run from October 2-25, times vary.
Attendees can engage in a coastal-theme restorative art session including painting and storytelling at the TOXIC SURF Art and Eco-Resilience Workshop on October 20, from 1pm-4.30pm.
The workshop will be facilitated by Mel Koolmatrie, a proud Ngarrindjeri, Ramindjeri, Boandik and Paramungk multi-disciplinary artist, and Sophie Hayat of Experiencing Marine Sanctuaries.
Participants can work on both a collaborative art piece as well as an individual one, with no previous art experience required. Tickets for the workshop cost $25.
“The whole point of what we’re doing is to create a space for community to come together to talk about what’s been happening and to create a sense of hope,” Zoe says.
“Having Nature Festival as a platform to launch an event like this has been fantastic. It brings an opportunity for us to hold those conversations, which gives more potency to what we’re doing.”
TOXIC SURF (Mid Coast) runs from September 27 to October 25.
Find the full Nature Fest program here.
