Mangroves from the Water (MFTW) Exhibition 24 April-3May 2026

Mangroves from the Water (MFTW) is a socially engaged multimedia art project and environmental campaign developed in collaboration with participating international artists and scientists. Initiated in the United Arab Emirates in 2014, the project has evolved over the past twelve years, encouraging new ways of seeing and understanding mangrove environments through multidisciplinary artistic practice and community engagement. The project also formed the foundation of Dr Zahidah Zeytoun Millie’s PhD research in Communication and Creative Arts, completed at Deakin University in 2025.

The most recent exhibition opened on 24 April 2026 at Barwon Heads Arts Hub and was partially supported by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA). It brought together Zahidah Zeytoun Millie’s watercolour sketches created from a kayak within the mangroves of the Barwon Estuary research site, alongside glass sculptures and acrylic paintings developed through five years of observing a single tree. These works were brought to life through choreography by Jacqui Dreessens and music composed by Demir Aliu. The exhibition also featured immersive works created in collaboration with Jacqui Dreessens and sound artist Pratyay Raha, a PhD candidate at RMIT University, Melbourne, together with a poem recited by Dr Diane Faye. Contributions by Year 5 students from Barwon Heads Primary School further enriched the exhibition. Collectively, these works sought to reconnect local audiences with the beauty and ecological significance of the surrounding mangrove environments.

Through artist-led engagement, a guided walk and talk with Jock Mackenzie from MangroveWatch and Rob Bone from the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, together with opening events incorporating artistic performance, the exhibition created opportunities for meaningful dialogue between art, science, and community. Local audiences gathered to learn about the environmental importance of mangroves and their role within local ecosystems.

At its core, Mangroves from the Water seeks to cultivate ecological awareness and foster deeper connections between people and environments that have historically been overlooked, misunderstood, or culturally marginalised.