Peregrinations of a Citizen Botanist, an exhibition by Susie Vickery opens on 3 February at the Manjimup Town Hall as part of the Regional Exhibition Touring Boost. The exhibition will be open Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 10.00am-4.00pm from 3 February to 8 March 2023.
Peregrinations of a Citizen Botanist is an immersive and finely crafted installation which takes the form of a cabinet of curiosities. It charts the journey of the 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.
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 invites viewers to reflect on our relationships with home, history and environment, and by imagining an alternative past, to think creatively about possible futures.
Shire President, Paul Omodei, said he welcomed opportunities for the Manjimup Art Gallery to work with visual art organisations like ART ON THE MOVE, to enable the staging of new and varied exhibitions in regional areas.
About the Artist
Susie’s career centres on embroidery and textiles, both practical and academic. Her core skills were developed over two decades as a costumier for theatre and film in Australia and the UK. After moving to Nepal in the 1990s, Susie built expertise in two further areas: development work and fine art embroidery. She completed a degree in embroidered textiles at London Middlesex University, winning the Christine Risley award from Goldsmiths University. She has since exhibited her embroidered textile art, animations and automata in the UK, Australia, and Europe, and is a fellow of the UK Society of Designer Craftsmen.
About ART ON THE MOVE
ART ON THE MOVE is a not-for-profit visual arts organisation encouraging connections and fostering a sense of belonging, creativity and a greater understanding of ourselves and the world through visual art.
ART ON THE MOVE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters depicted in Peregrinations of a Citizen Botanist, and the places the exhibition travels to.
About the Regional Exhibition Touring Boost
The Regional Exhibition Touring Boost (RETB) program is an $8 million McGowan Government election commitment that will widen the sharing of Western Australian culture within the State. RETB is managed by the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries, supported by Royalties for Regions and delivered by ART ON THE MOVE. For more information about funding programs specifically for regional WA visit dlgsc.wa.gov.au/regional-arts.
