RIGHT FIRE
2023, Arte Laguna Prize, The Arsenal, Venice Italy
Year: 2023
COOL CHANGE
IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEATWAVE
Cool Change (in the Middle of a Heatwave) is a multidisciplinary experimental exhibition and creative discussion framed the changing cultural and geographical landscapes within Australia. The broad curatorial theme traverse’s deep ecology, effects of anthropogenic degradation, decolonial narratives, relationship to country & tensions between old and new. Freda Artspace, Sydney
Curator Statement : Maya Martin-Westheimer
Director, Co-Founder : Floorplan Studio, Sydney Australia
https://www.floorplanstudio.net/coolchange
https://www.floorplanstudio.net/lucillemartin
Born out of a growing urgency to discuss and untangle the complexities of the world around us, Cool Change is framed by Australia’s shifting cultural and ecological landscapes. The exhibition embodies a collective desire to nurture and understand the worlds we inhabit, creating space for perspectives that subvert western-colonial ideologies and celebrate connections to Country, ancestors, human and non-human life, whilst also offering regenerative conversations around visual culture.
Encompassing a wide variety of creative practices Cool Change allows for numerous relationships and points of correspondence to emerge through the artworks. The artists draw upon the past to confront the present moment in time and bear witness to the impacts of our own undoing as we only begin to comprehend the true extent of the Earths interconnectedness and the ramifications of extractive capitalist economies.
Water organically evolved into a central motif of Cool Change weaving its way through artworks and ideas. The element echoes the fluidity of the present moment and the entanglement of all beings. It simultaneously foregrounds the physical implications of the climate emergency, including landmarks swallowed by rivers and oceans fouled by waste.
Cool Change uses creative storytelling to highlight how human beings are relational entities bound and influenced by environments. We are not separate from the earth; we are a part of it, every living thing, small or large, is part of the interconnected web of life.
Artist list: Lucille Martin, Emma Pinsent, Henry Butterworth, Jade Court Gold, Lisa Myeong-Joo, Mori, Mango Howard, Thomas Kuss, Thomas Kursturin
Lucille Martin – Artwork Statement
Circle Fire is from the artist’s recent exhibition Right Fire at Linden New Art, Melbourne in 2022. The conceptually aligned exhibition of immersive photographic work was captured in 2018-21 while Martin was artist in residence at Bundanon Trust, NSW. Martin was invited to observe fire initiatives that focused on the revival of ‘Good fire’ practice on Gumea Dharawal Country, hosted by Indigenous Firesticks Alliance and facilitated by Mudjingaalbaraga people in the lead up to the 10th National Indigenous Workshop on Gumea Dharawal Country. Right Fire was exhibited in April 2022 at Linden New Art Gallery.
Martin’s passion to share the visual experience of the Cultural Burn practice became more relevant once she learnt that the areas in which the program was administered were unaffected by the devastating Black Summer fires. Her photography highlights the importance of Indigenous-led programs and initiatives in managing land and healing our environment. Right Fire* draws attention to a positive association towards fire, its documentation inspired and reflective of Martin’s exposure to First Nations knowledge embedded in reading the land, soil and fire circles.
RIGHT FIRE
Year: 2022
Exhibited
2022, Right Fire, Linden New Art, Melbourne, Victoria
RIGHT FIRE is an exhibition of large format photographic work by contemporary artist Lucille Martin, who works within Nyoongar (Perth) and Naarm (Melbourne). Comprising photographic documentation captured between 2018 and 2021, RIGHT FIRE* explores the revival of ‘good fire’ practices held on Gumea Dharawal Country.
In 2018, during the first of two artist residencies with Bundanon Trust, Martin was invited to observe the inaugural Indigenous fire initiatives and cultural burn program undertaken in the lead up to the 10th National Indigenous Workshop on Gumea Dharawal Country, South Coast NSW. The Fire programs were activated by Bundanon Trust on behalf of Firesticks Alliance by Uncle Noel Webster, Elder of Yuin-Walbunja-Murramarrang Country and the Wodi Wodi Traditional Custodians of the Yuin Nation.
Martin’s immersive large-format works explore her passion for the natural environment, documenting changes facilitated to save Country, restore damage incurred by climate change all while generating significant environmental, social and cultural benefits. Martin firmly believes Indigenous custodians hold the link to our fight against the climate crisis.
Martin’s passion to share the visual experience of the Cultural Burn practice became more relevant once she learnt that the areas in which the program was administered were unaffected by the devastating Black Summer fires. Her photography highlights the importance of Indigenous-lead programs and initiatives in managing land and healing our environment. RIGHT FIRE* draws attention to a positive association towards fire, its documentation inspired and reflective of Martin’s exposure to First Nations knowledges embedded in reading the land, soil and fire circles.
With a career spanning 25 years, Lucille Martin is an established Australian contemporary artist whose multidisciplinary practice integrates iPhoneography, photo-media, textile and performance to explore themes related to the natural and physical landscape, the social psyche and deep ecology. For Martin, her application of iPhone-capture acts as an extension of the body in the merging of performative and documentary practices she captures while walking the Australian landscape.
Martin has received significant awards including four Australia Council for the Arts grants, a career fellowship from Department of Culture and the Arts, West Australian and peer-awarded residencies in Tokyo, New York and Australia. Her program of work encompasses curatorial practice, community development, higher education and policy advocacy
* Lucille received permission to use the term ‘Right Fire’ from Victor Steffensen, Indigenous filmmaker and Fire Practitioner, Victor’s video and books will be available for purchase during the exhibition duration.
Lucille acknowledges and pays respect to Firesticks Alliance, the Wodi Wodi Traditional Custodians of the Yuin Nation, Uncle Noel Webster, Elder of Yuin-Walbunja-Murramarrang and Indigneous Fire Practitioners Ado Webster of Wandrawandian, Walbunja and Jacob Chant Morris of Gumea Dharrawal for assisting and allowing her to share these
All images are taken in line with good fire practice, acknowledgement, and protocol.
