Here Today, detail, 2019, monoprint and gallery view

Sarah McConnell
Here Today – Defending takayna / Tarkine

Commissioned as part of ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE 2019 festival St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent

The Tarkine, or takayna, in the north-west of Tasmania is one of the last remaining tracts of Gondwanan rainforest in the world. While these forests have been recognised for their incredible cultural, historical and ecological significance, they are still a site of ongoing tension.

Here Today points to the continued efforts of everyday people to protect these forests from logging over the past 12 months. As we bare witness to the tide of our own destruction, these small acts of resistance reflect the recurring conflict in our relationship with nature and each other, and force us to face uncomfortable truths about our time and place on this earth.

Here Today is a reminder of our mistakes and failures, a celebration of our successes, an apology, and a message of hope.

Photo: Jasmine Fisher