In-Plight (exhibition M16 Artspace, May 2021)
This exhibition aimed to bring to the public attention Australia’s extinction crisis, focusing on the many endangered birds that are listed under the threatened species laws for each state and territory.
It is a cited fact that Australia faces an extinction crisis. The Canberra Times stated in May 2019 that, “[t]he UN's 2019 Global Assessment into the state of biodiversity found that the current rate of extinction could fundamentally impact global life support systems”.[1] The 2020 bushfires particularly highlighted this fact but more needs to be done to bring it to public attention. In an article in The Guardian (Feb 2018), John Woinarski, Professor of Conservation Biology, states, “For scientists, conservationists, researchers and those in the broader environment community, the challenge of securing stronger protection and more funding for Australia’s threatened flora and fauna is made tougher by the fact that much of the population does not realise that the wildlife the country prides itself on is in trouble”.[2]
At present there is a total of 143 endangered bird species listed under the threatened species legislation in each state and territory. This figure only includes Critically Endangered and Endangered birds. It does not include Vulnerable and Near Threatened species and is probably also outdated by now.
Each bird was represented on a 1:1 scale. The immensity of this situation signifies vulnerability and loss. However, as the title suggests, In-Plight, present tense, there is still opportunity to act.
[1] [1]https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6110607/un-warning-is-a-wake-up-call-to-act-on-australias-threatened-species/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/13/a-national-disgrace-australias-extinction-crisis-is-unfolding-in-plain-sight
