About

Carbon_Dating was a major participatory environmnetal artwork process developed over two stages:
Stage one (2021-3) involved the multi-site grass growing and caring activities and Stage two (2023-5) involved the subsequent commissioning and development of artworks responding to each participant’s experiences, and then later exhibition development and touring.

Stage 1 involved a series of artwork-based experiments, and a ‘campaign’, that sought to shift public relationships with Australian Native grasses. In a time of environmental stress, we called upon adventurous humans & vivacious grasses to ‘conspire’ together – to breathe life into radically new kinds of relationships - in order to build a community of care for native grasses and grasslands. A series of participants working with First Nations consultants and their local communities each worked to develop those relationships over several months of growing, reflecting and exchange. This process culminated in a group Yarning Circle in 2023.

Stage 2 involved the commissioning, curating and touring of a large scale exhibition based upon the reflections of the participants during Stage 1.

View Exhibition Details/Catalogue

STAGE 1 Project VIDEOS

Watch 4 short videos about how we setup and ran
the first phase of the Carbon_Dating project (2021-23)
 

WHY GRASSES?

We chose to focus on Australian indigenous grasses because - as plants and then ‘minor ones’ at that for many - we typically disregard them, or consider them uninteresting, weedy or dull; forgetting how dependent we are upon them for our well being. Like the copious amounts of oxygen they give us in return for our exhaled carbon dioxide, grasses remain invisible to most of us. We also find them hard to differentiate - therefore remaining largely unaware that so little of Australia’s indigenous grasslands remain thanks to their almost universal conversion by imported pasture grasses and cereal (grass) crops. And so - as with so many others, these richly biodiverse communities, colonised out of existence have become critically endangered, in most states hanging on by the tiniest of threads.

Why?

By sponsoring the planting of small indigenous grassland areas during 2021-3, we aimed to foster living sites for our art experiments; as well as building a campaign via partnerships built on respect, care, and the dissolving of old ‘us and them’ hierarchies.

Intention?

Our aim was to ask, how can we better seed ‘consensual’ relationships framed by our shared need to breathe each others ‘exhaled’ air. How can we walk alongside grasses, together into a sustained, long future?

First Nations

Carbon Dating's intention and commitment was to include, and be led by First Nations perspectives and learnings: We engaged with FN artists and community throughout the process in each location/site. We also acknowledge there is always more work to be done.

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GRASSLAND
 PROJECTS

7

Logos of sponsors, Carbon Dating

COLLABORATING SCIENTISTS

3

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NUMBER OF
 INTERWEAVERS

6

CARE COMMUNITY 
MEMBERS

500+

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Click below to meet the entire project team.
‍

Keith Armstrong, Carbon Dating Lead Artist/Director
Donna Davies, Carbon Dating Collaborative Artist
Daniele Constance, Carbon Dating Lead Artist
Andrea Higgins - Carbon Dating's Collaboration Manager and Photographer
Luke Lickfold, Carbon Dating Lead Artist
Tania Leimbach, Carbon Dating Writer

About Us

Carbon_Dating is an experimental artwork designed to seed ‘consensual’ partnerships between Australian native grasses and humans, based upon their shared need to breathe each other’s ‘exhaled’ air.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we live, work and create, including our collaborators on Yirrganydji, Barunggam, Jagera/Yuggera, Turbal, Ugarapul, Jinibara, Kabi Kabi and Kombumerri Country. We acknowledge their ongoing connection and custodianship for Country. We pay our deep respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We recognise First Nations people as the first artists and scientists. Always was, always will be.

The 2024-5 Carbon_Dating exhibition tour is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts QueenslandAssisted by QUT School of Creative Arts, International Art Services (IAS), Native Seeds Pty Ltd, Artfully, and Embodied Media.Between 2019-23 this project was assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

It was also supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government: Cairns Regional Council; Western Downs Regional Council; City of Gold Coast Council; Somerset Regional Council; and ArtsCoast as part of Sunshine Coast Council’s RADF program to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

Thanks also to QUT (School of Creative Arts, QUT Office of eResearch and Samford Ecological Research Facility). NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Cairns; Dogwood Crossing Gallery, Miles; HOTA, Gold Coast; The Condensery, Toogooloowah; Caloundra Regional Gallery, Caloundra; Native Seeds Pty Ltd and ReBul Packaging.

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Made By Keith Armstrong