Artists working to save the natural environment of the local mangroves
We are so excited to finally open the doors to our exhibition Mangroves from the Water at the Gordon Gallery tomorrow morning, 11 August at 11 am.
Please do pass by – since lockdown is now completed – and meet our curator and activist Zahidah Zeytoun Millie.
The show will run until 18 August, from 11 am – 5 pm.
We have a post-quarantine treat for you!!
Our show will open Saturday 14th August, 1 pm.
We are in the process of updating the official invitation and the schedule of events. You will be able to book for the workshops very soon!
Thank you for your patience. Stay home, stay safe and see you all soon!
The beautiful paintings of Helen Martin conveys a touching fondness for her husband by translating his deep-rooted connection to the mangroves, Her skill as a painter is evident in the atmospheric depictions of mangrove trees as seen in the images below, manifesting the vibrancy and liveliness through brush strokes and play of light.
Helen’s artist statement:
For the Mangroves from the Water Exhibition, Helen is collaborating with her husband Peter Martin, who has a deep affinity with mangroves having grown up playing and exploring them on the shore in front of his family home at Peek’s Point, East Gosford in New South Wales – on Darkinjung Country.
Her works for the exhibition draw on recent images of a small stand of white mangroves planted in the early 1960s by the five Martin boys at shoreline of Broken Bay. These young boys were motivated to plant mangrove seedlings they had found nearby in response to the degradation and destruction of the local mangroves, their playground, caused by unabashed urban development. The mangroves were seeded in the rocky foreshore among the clusters of native oysters, and over the past 50 years thrived, creating a new habitat.
Due to the latest Covid regulations, as from 5 August 2021, our exhibition had to be postponed until further notice.
The lockdown is due for 7 days, and we will share the new dates and revised event schedules as soon as we possibly can!
We wish everyone a sane and safe lockdown.
If we work together with compassion for all, we can make it through this (again) !
We are so proud of the variety of multi-media on offer at the next Mangroves from the Water exhibition.
Here is a preview to entice you to visit the Gordon Gallery.
Geraldine Chansard collaborated with director Pauline Dupin to create this heartwarming tale in a short video.
You can follow the news thread on Geraldine’s crowdfunding page to see the development of this project, as well as contribute to realize her dream:
https://fr.ulule.com/la_jeune_fille_tombee_amoureuse_des_mangroves/news/
As world leaders face converging crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, a compilation of the most current information available on what is known about mangrove forests is released, with a look at what’s being done to reverse the downward trends impacting the forests and the local communities who depend on them.
The report is compiled by THE GLOBAL MANGROVE ALLIANCE:
In 2018, Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wetlands International, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) formed the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA). Today, over 25 member organizations share the twin goals of restoring and recovering 50% of recent mangrove loss and doubling the area of mangroves under effective and equitable protection and management.
The report is of great importance to everyone – not only with regards to the mangroves but out of concern for the greater environmental issues facing us all globally.
A collaboration between Jacqueline Dreessens, choreographer and performer, and Enrico Santucci, Videographer and photographer.
A dance film about the interconnection of mangroves and creatures in Lake Connewarre, Wadawurrung Country, Barwon Heads, Victoria, Australia.
Visit Mangroves from the Water exhibition from 7-18 August at Gordon Gallery, Geelong to view this spectacular film!
Here is a tale by Enrico explaining his passion for the mangroves and how his green fingers connects him to the natural world:
On a warm day in February 2019 I was kayaking in Koornoo wetlands territory of the Waddawurrung Balug clan of the Wadawurrung people, with a few fellow artists to be inspired by such a Mystical Ecosystem. I wanted to showcase how important are Mangroves in wetlands for all the living creatures that are living nearby.
I saw an endless number of Mangrove seeds floating in the calm waters. As a spontaneous gardener that I am, I received such a floral message. They asked me to be part of my story telling, to embody the essence of connecting to such an Eco Cosmos. I took 8 seeds home, planted them in a long shallow vase. I built another large, long shallow vase and filled it up with fresh water. As mangroves are salt water tolerant, salt isn’t essential for their growth. I then immersed the vase with mangroves seeds in it.
I didn’t do any research on how to grow those precious seeds, as plants from seeds are easy to grow; you just need to be able to observe, listen and learn from them, like our Ancestors did a thousand years ago. Seeing those little, fragile seeds growing, becoming little plants, has been a wonderful journey for me.
A reconnection with nature, to my role in this Planet as a humble helper servant of Nature, Rejecting the Culture of Dominator and Abuser of the Unique Planet we humans call Home. Like Paul Kelly, one of the most influential singer songwriters of our time, says in one of the most Uplifting songs ever written “From little things big things grow”. Thanks for coming to testify about this unique Ecosystem, to start the reconciliation process with our Ancestors, with our Environment and with our Common Mother Earth.
Huge thank you to the Humans in Geelong for their continued support to Mangroves from the Water. Here is an interview they posted with curator Zahidah Zeytoun Millie…
‘What I have been preparing to say is, that in wilderness is the preservation of the world.’ HD Thoreau“
I moved to Geelong from the United Arab Emirates in 2017. I was happy to discover the mangrove forests at Barwon Heads and began to learn the history of the land around my new home. I researched how the mangrove landscapes of the Port Phillip and coastal fringe areas were irrevocably transformed by colonial occupation. I also discovered that such change has caused a loss of biodiversity that unfortunately is now a feature of Australia’s ecology.” Zahidah Zeytoun Millie tells us more.
“Mangroves – Vanguards of the Sea. Ecologically important in linking land and sea, mangroves are part of Nature’s wilderness. The estuarine forests along northern Australia’s coastline are at risk, as stated by the Australian Government, Department of Environment and Energy. In southern Australia, though, where wilderness areas have suffered all so greatly, mangrove forests are rarely noticed or celebrated. A common perception of the beauty of the Victorian coastline is white sandy beaches, not an estuarine forest of mangrove trees. Searching tourism and environment websites of the Barwon Heads region where mangroves surround Lake Connewarre I find information about ocean greens relating to golf clubs and white sandy beaches for surfing, swimming, or walking. One can be amazed by plants like bull kelp, sandstone arches and sponge gardens, yet nothing about mangroves.
“A question often comes to mind: why the mangrove forest is not considered a place to visit, and to enjoy for its abundant wildlife? Kayaking within mangroves provides a wonderful opportunity to contemplate birds, crabs and fish. How can mangrove forests be so neglected? Surely, they cannot be considered ugly!“
As an artist and a curator, I believe the mangroves story deserves a collective story like the mangroves roots intertwine and interconnect. By gathering a team of collaborating artists from different backgrounds and using a variety of media, I have curated a festival of multimedia art that surrounds the viewer and depicts the story of the mangroves and wetlands. My aim is to confront the viewer and to touch their emotions to feel deeply about the strong connection between humanity and the surrounding natural world.
“The artists intend to present a multi-disciplinary art exhibition of works set on the theme Mangroves from the Water. The project members approach the theme with a fascinating range of media: impressionist water colours from a kayak, paintings, short films, weaving, sculpture, performance dance and an installation of printed textiles.
“Our exhibition is very grateful for the support of the City of Greater Geelong and also community support in the Geelong region and abroad including Humans in Geelong and the Barwon Estuary Project (Students of Barwon Heads Primary School), and also with the student environmental group Kids Thrive of Northern Bay College in Corio. The Sharjah Heritage Institute from the UAE is the exhibition’s ongoing supporter providing heritage books, a folk/human connection to mangroves, magazines and an Arab majlis (sitting place). The connection is ongoing as the Institute is to donate these exhibits to the School of Humanities and Social Studies at Deakin University.
“We were planning to open on 26 July 2021, International Day for the Preservation of Mangrove Ecosystems. However, with the extended lockdown the exhibition will open on Saturday 7 August and close on Wednesday 18 August. It can be viewed daily from 11am – 4pm at the Gordon Gallery, 2 Fenwick St, Geelong.
“I will share my experience in workshops. Participating artists will conduct workshops in printing, painting and storytelling.
“Mangroves from the Water started as an art campaign in the UAE in 2014 with a series of multimedia group art exhibitions and a 2017 Mangroves Festival. The art campaign is to continue from International Mangroves Day 26 July 2021 in Geelong, Australia.”
Zahidah Zeytoun Millie,
‘Mangroves from the Water’ founder & curator.
Photo: Contributing Artists
Join us for this unique experience with Jacqui from Wild Moves International: dancing inspired by the natural environment! Please see the flyer for booking details.
Due to Covid regulations and current lockdown, the exhibition and events has to be postponed. The opening is now on 14 August and we will update the dates and times of the events shortly. You can still view the list of events to make your choices to attend…booking details will be shared shortly!
Mangroves from the Water (MFTW) 