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'Sensing the Planet: Art, Material Ecologies, and Reimagining Human–Nature Relations'CoCA welcomes visiting artist and researcher, Catherine Sarah Young, who will discuss her interdisciplinary environmental artscience practice. Born in Manila and currently based in Sydney, Young’s work is wide-ranging, encompassing sculpture, scent-based installations, interactive machines, and critical design. Her practice explores how sensory perception can unlock new ways of understanding ecological fragility and our deep entanglement with planetary systems. Her presentation traces a body of work that includes 'The Weighing of the Heart', a sculptural series cast from the ashes of Australia’s Black Summer bushfires; 'Arctic Ice Chess', a melting installation that stages the geopolitical and climatic tensions embedded in the polar regions; and 'The Sewer Soaperie', soap made from sewage and fatbergs. The talk will also explore her latest piece, Deep Sea Mining Claw Machine, which reconfigures the familiar arcade claw game into a critical inquiry into contemporary extractive futures.
Dr. Catherine Sarah Young is an interdisciplinary artist, designer, writer, and scholar. She uses scientific experimentation and molecular transformations in her art-making, often relating these to planetary and environmental issues. Catherine has an international profile, with numerous fellowships, exhibitions, and speaking engagements. She was one of ArtReview Asia’s Future Greats in 2018, a Thirteen Artist Awards recipient in the Philippines in 2021, was listed as one of the 10 Women Leading the Fight against Climate Change by Earth.org in 2024, and is an Obama Leader for Asia-Pacific. Her PhD dissertation is entitled, 'The Ghost of Rain: Investigating Petrichor as Companion Molecules in the Critical Zones through the Arts'. She is currently an academic in UNSW Sydney School of Art and Design where she mentors Master of Design students on their capstone projects framed around the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Image credit - courtesy of the artist 'The Sewer Soaperie'
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