Two Worlds
I chose my site of observation at the nearby Dandenong Wetlands, which is a nature reserve bound by the Monash Fwy, Stud Road, and Heatherton Road. At every visit, I was disturbed by the noise of the high-speed traffic.
Spending time there, I realised the struggle to find peace in urban spaces. But after continually visiting the reserve, I was able to ignore the noise and forget the disturbances of city life. In this work, I have tried to share the experience of “forest bathing” in the exhibition space. The audience is asked to navigate carefully through the web of strings and walk up to the space enclosed by a large photo print. By asking the audience to sit down behind this screen, I offer them the opportunity to slow down and feel grounded, and for some time even ‘disappear’. A sound recording of birds chirping can be heard faintly when the viewer is seated and focused despite the other activities in the gallery space.
