‘Bush Requiem’ is a cross-disciplinary program of art, talks and performances that lament the loss of native ecologies during the 2020 bushfire crisis. Curated by acclaimed Australian artist Janet Laurence, ‘Bush Requiem’ brings together poets, visual artists, scientists and environmental advocates to retrieve the memory of this loss and open up the opportunity to share knowledge for the future. Held within the ethereal inner chamber of the Paddington Reservoir, the program foregrounds an aesthetics of care and healing through installations involving water, living plants, ceramics, participatory drawing and footage from the bushfires. Amongst these, transformative musical performances, poetry and panel discussions by the Sydney Environment Institute and Groundswell will cultivate a renewed engagement with nature.   

Laurence explains, “I believe we need to make our landscape sacred again; we need to re-enchant it. The bushfires have amplified the specificity of this landscape that we live within. We need to enter into it deeply through knowledge sharing between scientists, artists and Indigenous peoples. … Part of my vision is that the space will not be used as a neutral space but will be entered into as a sacred space that cultivates a renewed engagement with nature.”

This project collectively creates an immersive environment and a memorial space that is contemporary in its acknowledgment of the fragility and transience of our existence and of our total interconnection with the living world. It offers viewers opportunities to listen and share stories and make informed choices around pathways towards regeneration and preservation. Laurence concludes, “I hope this project enables ritual and requiem that helps us access this knowledge and love of this landscape.”