AN exhibition of artworks celebrating the reclaimed wetland at Yuurrun.ga (Urunga) is showing at Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) between 17 May and 22 June.
Created by John Bennett and John Laidley, it is described as a story of hope and beauty that captures the reclamation of the endangered wetlands after years of industrial pollution
John Bennett, a multi-award-winning poet and photographer and John Laidler, a musician and sound engineer who also works as a citizen scientist on the site, are shining the light on the precarious nature of wetlands today.
“Wetlands are vital habitats, but vanishing faster than rainforests,” Mr Laidler said.
“The area housed a mineral processing plant and that left the site dead – poisoned with arsenic, lead, mercury and cyanide.”
The exhibition features 60 videos probing the wetland from a range of perspectives from natural aesthetics to fine art.
“The videos are ‘photographs’ that extend for 60 seconds, they are not edits excised from longer takes.
“In times of environmental chaos what can artists do?” Mr Laidler posed.
“I undertake regular bird surveys for an ecological restoration journey.
“Citizen science projects are becoming increasingly important for people and science.”
John Bennett has worked for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service then undertook a PhD exploring poetics.
Since moving to regional NSW, he has become heavily involved in the cultural life of the Mid North Coast.
He reads poems live on ABC Regional radio once a week.
He was Artistic Director of the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival for five years and taught ecopoetry at Camp Creative, Bellingen.
He has worked with Aboriginal storytellers for the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance.
The two Johns have worked together for over 15 years on a wide variety of projects including music documentaries, conceptual works and poetry journals.
By Andrea FERRARI
