Art and activism have merged in the current exhibition being staged at the Redland Gallery entitled Australien Future: Tales of Migration.
The exhibition, created by Deb Mosert, looks at bird and human migration and raises the global impact of the proposed Toondah Harbour development.
In speaking at the launch on December 7, freelance writer Louise Martin- Chew said that while the artwork was beautiful, it was also patently political.
“This hot bed of activism is the heart and soul of the artist. The ideas are deeply felt and poetically expressed. This is a gentle way into a tough issue. That is the global impact of the world’s qunitessential migrants – the shorebirds,” Ms Martin-Chew said.
University of Queensland’s biological scientist Richard Fuller praised the exhibition and explained the graphic journey taken by a shore bird.
“We as scientists must remain dispassionate and unemotional. But the plight of these birds moves me to tears. In my lifetime for example, I have seen the population of the eastern curlew disappear by 95 per cent. We have the power to disrupt nature and I thank Deb for bringing this story to the world,” he said.
Ms Mosert’s installation draws on the memories and photographs of her family which migrated from Holland in 1955, and noticing the shorebirds that flew over the ocean at the same time. As part of the project and in a complementary second exhibition, local artists created an installation of 330 birds.
The exhibition remains at the gallery until January 20. Opening hours are 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Sunday. Admission is free.
