Exhibition and public lecture series – NowHere: the Decisive Moment

LOCAL ARTIST AND SCIENTIST COMBINE TO EXPLORE NEW GEOLOGICAL ERA
National Hotel Staircase Gallery 20 February to 20 May

A photographic exhibition at the Staircase Gallery in the National Hotel, Fremantle, running from 20 February to 20 May will explore the idea that human impacts have pushed the Earth into a new geological era called the Anthropocene.

Developed by Perth-based artist Gwenaël Velge and UWA Research Fellow Dr. Neville Ellis, the crowd-funded project NowHere: the Decisive Moment combines aerial photography of Western Australian landscapes with the latest scientific insights to communicate the significance and the dangers of the Anthropocene.

“We are living in an extraordinary moment in planetary time, yet most of us don’t realise it” said Dr. Ellis.

“Human impacts upon the environment are so large that we now rival the great forces of nature. In the space of a single lifetime, we have acidified the oceans, warmed the climate and driven over 50 per cent of all vertebrate species into extinction. Taken together, we have pushed the Earth into a state never seen before in its 4.5 billion year history” he said.

The photographic exhibition will display a large selection of aerial photographs of Western Australian landscapes, ranging from the Pilbara to the industrial landscapes of the Fremantle Port, alongside key scientific descriptions of the Anthropocene.

“The Anthropocene is a huge concept that can be difficult to wrap your head around. This is our attempt to make the idea more palatable” said Mr Velge.

“We focus on Western Australian landscapes as a way of engaging the public with the significance of our Anthropocene moment. Though these landscapes are familiar to us, they are rendered increasingly unfamiliar and strange by the changes we are inflicting upon them. We hope to highlight just how strange and extraordinary these changes are”.

The exhibition forms part of a larger community outreach project that includes a three-part public lecture series that explores the Anthropocene from three different perspectives: science, arts and culture, and politics. Each of the lecture events will follow a seminar format that includes presentations from local experts and dignitaries, followed by an extended Q&A session.

“The public lecture series is a chance to hear how different communities tackle environmental problems, and how we as a concerned public might come together to imagine and build more sustainable and equitable futures,” said Dr Ellis.

The exhibition and lecture series is free to the public.

National Hotel: 98 High St, Fremantle WA 6160
Below Image: Clouds of Jupiter, aerial image of Kwinana
Media Contact: Tracy Routledge TR PR 0412 223 221 or tracy@trpr.com.au

Public Lecture 1: Science
6 March, 2019
National Hotel, Fremantle, WA
7pm to 8.30pm
Speakers:

Prof. Petra Tschakert (Human Geographer, Coordinating Lead Author IPCC Special Report 1.5C, UWA)
Dr Bill Hare: (Founder, CEO and Managing Director of Climate Analytics)
Dr. Joe Fontaine (Environmental Scientist, Murdoch University)
Dr. Neville Ellis (Social Scientist, Contributing Author IPCC Special Report 1.5C, UWA)

Public Lecture 2: Arts and Culture
Mid April, 2019
National Hotel, Fremantle, WA
*date and speakers to be confirmed 

Public Lecture 3: Politics
Mid May, 2019
National Hotel, Fremantle, WA
*date and speakers to be confirmed