An immersive and finely crafted installation opens at the Museum of the Great Southern on 14 May 2022. The Peregrinations of a Citizen Botanist exhibition by artist Susie Vickery takes the form of a cabinet of curiosities, charting the journey of 18th Century French botanist Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière, who came to Western Australia in 1792 on the ship Recherche, captained by Bruni d’Entrecasteaux. Museum of the Great Southern Regional Manager Ms Catherine Salmaggi said this exhibition will delight visitors as they explore the exquisite details captured in each of the story's vignettes. “The enchanting collection of automata, intricately dyed and stitched garments and puppetry, complimented by sweeping hand painted backdrops, audio and digital projections, will captivate the viewer transporting them to a different time and place, all set within the spaces of the historic Residency building,” Ms Salmaggi said. Ms Vickery presents an alternative history of Labillardière’s journey, with the botanist gradually shedding his preconceptions as he encounters a rich and ancient land where his language and assumptions about the world fall away. At a time of accelerating climate crisis, this exhibition also invites viewers to reflect on our relationships with home, history and the environment, and by imagining a different past, to think creatively about possible futures. Ms Vickery said that the alternative view of history presented in the exhibition was a choice that could have been made if the environment hadn’t been modified to fit a European model of agriculture. “Making this exhibition led me to a greater understanding of our history and our precious and fragile environment,” Ms Vickery said. “I hope that the visitor will join me in appreciating our responsibility in caring for the world around us.” Peregrinations of a Citizen Botanist is a free exhibition and will be on display at the Museum of the Great southern from Saturday 14 May to Friday 24 June 2022. Entry to the Museum is by donation. https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/greatsouthern/peregrinations-citizen-bot… contact:Yoshika Konyoshika.kon@museum.wa.gov.au
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