Paradoxa Collective artists (Penelope Aitken, Anna Farago and Susan Wirth) have made ceramic beads, using mud from the Creswick Clay Pit. Hanging, these beads bring the earth into the air and a constellation of stars to the ground. They contemplate the aftereffects of gold mining, which brought clay and silica from deep underground to the surface and covered the Central Victorian landscape in sludge. The Dja Dja Wurrung community refer to this as ‘our upside-down Country’.

The artists consulted with Dja Dja Wurrung elder Uncle Rick Nelson before working with the clay and will return the beads to the site after the exhibition. Paradoxa Collective highlight the importance of caring for our surrounding ecology and consulting with First Nations people as custodians of the land.

The cushions are an invitation to sit, talk, listen and become grounded. They feature hand-printed dung beetles, which nourish the landscape and promote the biosphere. Their actions are the opposite of mining as they deposit fertile dung underground which improves soil, increases aeration, reduces water run-off, and reduces parasite and pest populations. Through this immersive installation Paradoxa Collective enact and encourage the possibility of renewal through small acts of caring and connection.

Ellen Wignell, Curator, RACV ArtHouse