Nuclear Deforestation: Survival of the Cyatheales is the first movement of a major ongoing research-led body of work concerned with the examination of human-led operations in Australian and Latin American tree industries. This specific body of work is presented as a major interactive, immersive and temporal installation. Composed of "human-made" - human-made silhouettes that resemble the cyatheales species known as the Dicksonia Antarctica, arranged in the form of a displaced canopy leading to a focal projection revolving around a series of looping moving images.
The Installation dwells on the contemporary studies and surveys of Australian deforestation in regional and marginal communities, tree farming as an archaic industry, post-world war 2 tree mutation through the result of Australian and U.S nuclear testing and the pre-historic order known as the Cyatheales that has withstood catastrophic events throughout various millennia. Nuclear deforestation serves as a fundamental political, environmental and humane criticism of the enactment of illegal, unethical and violent deforestation and maltreatment of tree care and growth as "environmental terrorism", thus providing a confronting platform for “humane” reflection.
This work borrowed samples of Dicksonia Antarctica Fronds respectfully and cautiously taken from Wurundjeri country and soil samples from Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Country. Respectfully presented in Boon Wurrung Country, Monash University Caulfield Campus.
