Australia’s natural environment is unlike anywhere else on Earth. Yet, since 1788, we have suffered the largest documented biodiversity decline of any continent, with habitat loss driven largely by urbanisation.
DUMPED explores how our cities might make space for nature by transforming discarded objects salvaged from around Geelong into living habitat. Planted with endemic species, the installation represents the region’s volcanic grasslands, woodlands, coastal marshes and riverine wetlands.
Painted red, the objects are stripped of their everyday function and reimagined as ecological structures, revealing the latent habitat potential of residual urban spaces.
As cities densify, opportunities to restore habitat are increasingly confined to the urban margins, alongside the city’s waste and refuse. With 46% of Australia’s threatened animal species occurring in cities, these spaces are critical for conservation.
DUMPED challenges the boundaries between waste and ecology, while speculating on the landscapes that might emerge once the rubbish collections stop running.
Open: The Third Space Gallery window, all hours.
Exhibition launch: Saturday 3 October, 4pm — all welcome.
