cross connections: linking art, science and identity, anu school of music

Dr Tracey M Bensonaka @bytetime

“Cross-connections: linking art, science and identity”

School of Music 2014

Acknowledgements– I would like to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners

of the country on which I now stand.

– Also, I would like to acknowledge all Indigenous peoples, whose wisdom and knowledge offer great opportunities for humanity to learn how to be more sustainable and respectful of the land we inhabit.

– Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge the support and encouragement of Te Urutahi Waikerepuru, Jo Tito, Sharon Atkinson, Lee Joachim, Aretha Briggs and many other people who, by sharing their stories and passion, encouraged me to explore more deeply my own history and place in the world.

Topics covered:

- Introduction to my art

- My role with LivingGreener

- Linkages: SCANZ2013:3rd Nature

- Relative projects for composers

Creative works:Place + identity

What do big bananas, fairy chimneys, Namadgi National Park and the Murray River have in common?

They are subjects I have used to creatively explore themes of place, identity and belonging.

Some projects:

- Big Banana Time Inc. (1996 – 2001)

- Performances in real and cyberspace

- Fauxonomy (2007 – current)

- Finding Balance

- Words for Water

Big Banana Time Inc.1995-2001

Souvenir objects – questioning values

1996 - 1997

Souvenir objects

1996 - 1999

SciArt'99: Queensland Sciencentre

Queensland Sciencentre 1999, Curated by Paul Brown

Performance works1995-1999

Scalpland: place and embodiment

1995, 1996

Virtual selves: performance and embodiment

1998 - 2001

Lateral shift

Online and communications mgt- Research School of Bioscience - CERF- LivingGreener- Clean Energy Regulator

Fauxonomy2007-2013

taxonomy-folksonomy-fauxplace-experience-truth

Fauxonomy: mapping as experience

Project: Cultural Strangers Turkey 2011

Project: Cultural Strangers, Turkey 2011

SCANZ: 3rd NatureArtist residencyAotearoa 2013

SCANZ: Artist residencyAotearoa 2013

Message to the Mountain

Puke Ariki Museum

SCANZ2013: 3rd Nature

Taranaki, Aotearoa

Project: SCANZ2013,3rd Nature, Taranaki, New Zealand

Finding Balance: Mura GadiCanberra 2013

Project: Finding Balance : Mura Gadi, 2013 Canberra

Project: Finding Balance : Mura Gadi, 2013 Canberra

Words for Water2013 - current

Background

Words for Water has evolved from a number of events:

A residency in NZ – SCANZ2013 A Jawun secondment with the Yorta Yorta People

of the Goulburn Murray Region Conversations about water both online and

offline

Reflecting on SCANZ2013

An artist residency linking art, science, Indigenous knowledge and the environment.

This event crystallized many links between my practice, my values and my need to make sense of my place in the world.

At SCANZ2013, I learnt to acknowledge my mountain and my river, by my Maori guides.

Reflecting on SCANZ2013

One of the conversations at SCANZ that reasonated was about Wai – Water. For Maori, Wai means many things, For example:

Water is classified into categories each based on spiritual and geographical features.

Wai has many meanings related to the idea of water as the essence of life.

Waiora, waimaori, waikino, waimate and waitai - are used to define concepts for maintaining balance and interconnections between all living things and processes.

Also, Maori regard the river like a human body, if it becomes sick, it can die.

I remembered the creek we played in as children.

Remembering Scalpland

While thinking about my mountain and my river, I was reminded of a performance piece from the mid 1990s – Scalpland.

This performance explored a range of issues related to place, the body and identity.

A key theme was the changes in the landscape, witnessed in my suburb Aspley, after living away for a decade.

Remembering Scalpland

Remembering Scalpland

Remembering Scalpland

Yorta Yorta CountryFrom YYNAC website:

The Yorta Yorta people of southeast Australia are a river people. Dhungala is the life source and spirit of the Yorta Yorta.

River basins around the world are critical for water resources, biodiversity and agriculture, but they are facing increasing stresses due to degradation, overuse and climate change. We must find new, more integrated solutions that deliver benefits for: healthy river ecosystems sustainable agriculture empowered communities

From (http://www.yynac.com.au/learning_from_indigenous_knowledge.php)

Yielima: On Country

Echuca

Responding to the river

After spending the day on the paddleboat and seeing the damage caused by this tourist activity, plus seeing the river level so low I needed to find a way to bring together my disparate and desperate thoughts.

Then I had an idea...

about the words for water...

Facebook responses

Gathering words

Gapu: Yolgnu, Kapi: Pitjanjatjara, Gugu: Wubuy, Air: Bahasa Indonesian, Wair: Bahasa Sikka, Wada:

Myla, Voda: Russian, Sui: Cantonese, Pani: Hindu, Water: English, Aqua: Latin, Eau: French, Ma:

Arabic, Agua: Spanish/Portuguese, Nepo: Greek, Wasser: German, Wai: Maori, Galin: Wiradjuri, Wala: Yorta Yorta, Su: Turkish, 

Tubig: Filipino, Vann: Norwegian, Uisce: Irish Gaelic, Dwr: Welsh, Ilma: Maltese, Vand: Danish, 

Vatten: Swedish, Banyu: Javanese, Vesi: Estonian, Auga: Galician, Ouse: Old English, Av: Kurdish

Words for WaterProject description (excerpt)

Words for water is an exploration into the many aspects of the chemical of H2O.

Water makes up over 70 per cent of the human body, it is essential for sustaining life and has massive social and cultural significance.

This project seeks to raise awareness of the significance of water to humanity – its critical importance to our existence: spirituality, culture, health and ecological sustainability.

Project DevelopmentTracing the Murray River

To create the video over 70 images were collected of the Murray River, following the river from its source in the mountains, not far from where I live, to the sea - the Coorong in South Australia.

The Chakra of the Murray - Crown

The Chakra of the Murray - Heart

The Chakra of the Murray - Base

Making Maps for ISMAR

Video for ISMAR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0SqODdIOU

Next steps: Wellness

In many languages the words for water have multiple meanings – as in the example of Wai.

In my mother tongue, English, there are also many words that have a connection to water, which have disparate meanings – e.g Wellness, Spring.

What are other examples?

What are their connections to water?

Sharing personal stories

As part of the expanding collaborative aspect of Words for Water, I will be collecting audio and video about water.

The focus is on personal stories and histories of place

You can contribute!Email me: bytetime@gmail.com

Connection pointsSCANZ2013Sound artists

Nigel Helyer

Nigel Helyer

Leah Barclay

Leah Barclay

Thanks for having me!Contact details:

Tracey M Benson

www.byte-time.net

www.traceybenson.com

www.geokult.com

http://mediakult.wordpress.com

Words for Water project:http://geokult.com/projects/words-for-water/

You can find @bytetime online at twitter, delicious, scribd, flickr, identica and slideshare

Skype and facebook me @ mediakult