Join Caitlin Franzmann for an afternoon of events delving into the stories of the plant-life. Taking pace within her exhibition to the curve of you, begin with a garden tour and immersive listening session, followed by a panel discussion about understanding and responsibly working with weeds. Join one or both events—registration for each is essential as places are limited.
Tour: IMA Courtyard Garden (1–2pm)
Caitlin Franzmann has been working with gardener Kate Wall to integrate new plantings into the IMA’s courtyard sculpture Corps à Corps. Caitlin and Kate have included plants commonly found on urban roadsides, disturbed sites, public parks, and residential yards, challenging us to revalue these ‘weeds’ by introducing us to their potential uses—their medicinal and edible properties, and as an indicator of the health of our gardens, soil, and ecosystems.
The tour will conclude with an encounter with Achira (Canna Indica) and an immersive listening session in Franzmann’s exhibition.
Free, registration essential. Register here. (bring a hat)
Panel discussion: How does your garden grow? (3–4pm)
Join artist Caitlin Franzmann, gardener Kate Wall, and ecologist Renee Rossini for a discussion about understanding and responsibly working with weeds.
The speakers will share stories about getting to know plants that have been deemed unwanted and discuss the values that underpin such classifications. From a garden ‘soil improver’ to an environmental weed that has endangered a butterfly species, each plant interacts with the ecosystems they are nested within.
What are the ethical and cultural dilemmas we must consider when managing weeds? What are the plants telling us—about the soil, about the climate, about history? How do we listen?
Free, registration essential. Register here.
This is a COVID-safe event.
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Caitlin Franzmann has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Victoria, New Museum in New York, and Kyoto Art Centre. She was a member of the feminist art collective LEVEL from 2013-2018, co-curating exhibitions and forums with a focus on generating dialogue around gender, feminism and contemporary art. She is currently a member of Ensayos, an international collective research practice centered on extinction, human geography and coastal health.
Kate Wall is a gardening professional and author of ‘Working with Weeds: A practical guide to understanding, managing and using weeds’. With a background in environmental science and a commitment to a culture of caring, Kate specializes in teaching people to garden in harmony with nature. She focuses on a sustainable approach to gardening, encouraging gardeners to understand and work with a subtropical climate and successfully grow food, medicine and an incredible abundance of flowers and joy.
Renee Rossini is an ecologist with a rich experience gained researching and working along the coastlines to the arid zone, but always with a strong focus on the conservation of Australia’s unique flora and fauna. She is currently Science and Education Manager at Queensland Trust for Nature and maintains her research and education positions at the University of Queensland and Griffith University. If she’s not in the office she’ll be out chasing snails around desert springs, adventuring around the islands of Quandamooka country, or meandering through the forests of south-east Queensland.
Photo: Charlie Hillhouse
