Eggpicnic Exhibition ‘Between You and Me’
6 June - 16 July 2022
Eggpicnic's six week solo exhibition, 'Between You and Me', is wrapping up on July 16th at The Mixing Room Gallery at Thor’s Hammer. So, we're throwing a closing party!
Opening on June 6th, with an opening night on June 10th, the exhibition saw hundreds of guests flocking (forgive the pun) to Thor's Hammer to experience Canberra and Australia's landscapes and habitats through the works of Camila and Chris from Eggpicnic.
With the exhibition closing on July 16th, we invite you to join us for a celebratory closing party on Friday July 15th, featuring a live Q&A at 6:30pm, taking you on a journey through the artists’ creative process, upcoming projects and the unveiling of projected animations.
KEY DETAILS
WHEN: Friday July 15 from 6pm - 8pm
WHERE: The Mixing Room Gallery at Thor's Hammer (10 Mildura Street, Griffith, ACT 2603)
Download the Exhibition Room Sheet & Price List — To make a purchase please contact Thor’s Hammer directly on [02] 6282 9900
Canberra-based design studio Eggpicnic is coming to The Mixing Room Gallery at Thor’s Hammer in June.
Running from 6 June - 16 July, with an opening night on June 10th, Eggpicnic presents Between You and Me, exploring Canberra and Australia's landscapes and habitats to bring us closer to the species that surround us.
We have an undeniable bond with animals, deeply rooted in our biographies. Animals have become narrators of our most significant life stories and carriers of our most profound memories. We turn to animals in moments of joy and grief, looking for symbols and creating meaning for experiences in our lives. They represent what we love the most and our collective and family imaginaries are filled with narratives that reflect this essential connection between us.
Animals and place make us who we are, they shape us. And whenever we live in a place, we become part of its ongoing journey of transformation, just as it becomes part of ours. It is through these connections that we can find a way of belonging ourselves back to the ecosystem, reframing the idea of belonging together. The narratives we have constructed of animals are a reflection of love, and love can be a gateway to caring. Conservation, under this lens, becomes an act of preserving our mutual stories.
By creating a space for us to delve into our own stories, Eggpicnic seeks to strengthen these connections and to challenge the traditional perspectives of our era that divide animals and humans, inviting you to experience the space with a sense of wonder, intimacy and responsibility, sharing your memories, a story, or a symbol that is meaningful to you.
Opening function is proudly sponsored by Capital Brewing Co.
Eggpicnic is a Canberra-based design studio devoted to wildlife conservation set up by designers and birders Camila De Gregorio and Christopher Macaluso. Their work has been transformed into large-scale public art by the City of Sydney, the City of Melbourne, Sydney Olympic Park, in Bondi Beach and in Regional Australia, bringing nature back into the urban environment. In 2019 they were recognised for their artistic excellence by the Sydney Opera House, becoming the first winners of their Uncovered Program, with their work selected as the best in the category of Prints, Photography and Art. In 2020 they began a co-funded research project with Dr. Kate Umbers, from the School of Science of the Western Sydney University, to quantify the impact of art on conservation.
AT THE MIXING ROOM GALLERY, THOR’S HAMMER WORKSHOP
ADDRESS: 10 Mildura Street, Griffith, ACT 2603
OPEN: Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturdays 9am - 1pm
CLOSED: Sundays and Public Holidays
PHONE: [02] 6282 9900
OPENING NIGHT
On June 10th 2022, around 120 people gathered to celebrate the opening of Eggpicnic’s Between You and Me’. Guests enjoyed beers from Capital Brewing, and a speech from Kate Umbers, biologist Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Western Sydney University. Below, please enjoy images of the night, an excerpt from Kate’s speech, an interview with Chris and Camila from Eggpicnic, and the Exhibition Room Sheet and Price List.
Photos: Ellie Keft
“Meaningful connections with nature enhance our lives by nourishing the body, enriching the spirit, and igniting the mind. The most joyful and overwhelming thing about being a biologist in Australia is that it is our job to gently and respectfully explore and understand this continent’s vast and mostly unique biodiversity. It is an immense privilege and a big adventure.
There is of course a greatly disturbing aspect of this work. Seeing the continued and often systematic destruction of our biodiversity coupled with wilful inaction to right wrongs is deeply troubling. The helplessness is made all the worse by having a deep scientific understanding of its far-reaching consequences which include extinction and ecosystem collapse. What is a biologist to do? We are truth-seekers and knowledge-creators but we are not trained in matters of the heart. We know we need to reach great numbers of people and connect them with nature to bring about change but we don’t know how.
The solution for me must come from the arts, that uncontainable force of human expression that wields great power for change. I dreamt of working with Eggpicnic because they make it crystal clear that the purpose of their truly beautiful work is to improve outcomes for biodiversity. Together we created Friends in High Places, focused on Australia mountain ecosystems, many of the works from which are included here tonight. I have spent many years with Australia’s mountain insects but Eggpicnic’s representations of them provide a way to more richly share that connection with others.
By skilfully capturing each species character Eggpicnic’s works help us form critical connections and provide a medium through which to share our stories of connection. Their art somehow provides substrate upon which a rich dialogue spontaneously forms.
As you experience the exhibition I invite you to notice that unquantifiable something that exists between you and each one of the creatures Eggpicnic have so beautifully represented here. You might enjoy noticing which species you’re drawn to and spend some time pondering why that is. I also encourage you to go to the creatures that don’t immediately draw you in - give them a chance, they probably need you more than the others.”
EXHIBITION ROOM SHEET & PRICE LIST
Download the Exhibition Room Sheet & Price List — To make a purchase please contact Thor’s Hammer directly on [02] 6282 9900
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Eggpicnic Interview—June 2022