Wishing Dark

WishingDARK nurturing a dark ecology

WishingDARK is the banner title for an ongoing creative body of work including performance, installation, laboratory and creative fiction. Underpinning the deep research project is an investigation into relational ecologies of the dark beyond simply the human.  The multi-sensorial and the multi-directional project engages actions of attention and care as tools  for being with the dark and all it enfolds. Research outcomes reflect the darks far-reaching effects and try to fathom the consequence of its disappearance. Current levels of light saturation and pollution provoke the question: how might industrialised humans re-embrace the dark as a biological, emotional and creative imperative for future survival of all species?

Research

Alongside WishingDARK a body of scholarly research supports ongoing inquiries and the creation of fiction and nonfiction works.

2026 Doctor of Philosophy Touching Dark: Matterings of More-than-human Worlds

2020 Masters of Research Going Dark: Care-full Castings and Delight-full Deviations for a Networked Fiction in an Everyday World

Projects

2024 DARKmoves Adhocracy Vitalstatistix Adelaide SA

2023 Night Drifts audio-visual installation Carriageworks NSW

2022 DARKswell audio-visual performance Wired Lab Open Day Jugiong NSW

2021 Dark Interludes a film with Michelle St Anne and The Living Room Theatre

2020 DARKpassage installation Blacktown Arts Centre NSW

2019 Going DARK a creative fiction for social media

2017 DARKbody site specific installation Wired Open Day Cootamundra NSW

2017 DARKlight performance installation Metro Arts Brisbane QLD

2017 Of Dark Hunters and Quiet Gazers essay commissioned for Quiet Ecology by Jason Sweeney

2015 DARKsupper a research and sharing event. DARKsupper has operated as part of residencies and in private homes

2015 DARKlab a research working group

“So benumbed are we nowadays by electric lights that we have become utterly insensitive to the evils of excessive illumination.”

In Praise of Shadows – Junichira Tanizaki 1933

Ongoing research and development residencies and labs:

2024 four day residency for DARKmoves development Adhocracy hothouse Vitalstatistix, SA

2020 – 2022 development for DARKswell regional NSW

2019 one week development residency Wired Lab NSW

2018 two week residency at Sunsiz Media AIR Lightning Ridge NSW

2017 10 day Rex Cramphorn Studio Artist in Residence NSW

2017 three week creative exchange and mentorship with UK artist Julia Bardsley in rural Portugal*

2017 two week residency at Bundanon Trust NSW

2017  two week development residency Wired Lab NSW

2016 three week residency  and isolated retreat at the UNSW Fowlers Gap research station in the semi-arid desert of North West NSW

2015-2016 Creative work-in-residence (four residential periods) Metro Arts Brisbane Queensland

2014 two week retreat and creative exchange with Julie Tolentino in the high desert area of Joshua Tree California USA**

2012 Rex Cramphorn Studio Artist in Residence NSW

* supported by the Australia Council for the Arts Development Grants 2016

** supported by the Australia Council for the Arts Cultural Leadership Grant 2012