Community art project Out of The Blue is shining a light on South Australia’s unheralded natural marine resources, with artist Niki Sperou and Flinders University scientists driving collaborative art projects that highlight the properties and value of abundant local marine algae and seaweed.
Flinders University researchers believe local marine algae and seaweed has the potential to stimulate a valuable new Blue Bio-economy for Australia, and Ms Sperou – artist in residence at Flinders University’s Department of Medical Biotechnology since 2006 – developed the Out of The Blue concept to highlight this, with support and scientific knowledge from Professor Wei Zhang, director of the university’s Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development.
The art project is using seaweed collected at Beachport in July (excess material from scientific research currently being conducted at Flinders University) in workshops at several Limestone Coast schools to produce cyanotype handmade photographic prints (the process also used to produce blueprints) onto fabric, coupled with creative writing of novel stories and future scenarios for seaweed.
The images and creative writing are being produced by up to 120 participating Year 6 and Year 7 students from Victor Harbor Primary School, Allendale East Area School and Glenburnie Primary School, with input from Flinders Biotechnology scientists, will be stitched together as a series of collaborative storytelling ‘quilts’.
The collaborative quilts being made by Limestone Coast children and Flinders University scientists during 2018 and early 2019, will be exhibited during March 2019 at Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa, and Riddoch Gallery, Mount Gambier, thanks to the support of Arts and Cultural Development officers Leah Grace and Dr Melentie Pandilovski. Other museums across Australia are also interested in showing the Out of the Blue quilts in 2020.
Project partners in this venture are Inspiring SA, Flinders University Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, The State Herbarium of SA and the STEM Ambassadors Program.