disorientation /dĭs-ôr′′ē-ĕn-tā′shən/

noun

Loss of one's sense of direction, position, or relationship with one's surroundings.

Mental confusion or impaired awareness, especially regarding place, time, or personal

identity.

Climate change, bringing extreme weather including vehicle-eating hailstorms, is disorientating

human and non-human species, including the temperate, night-flying Bogong moth. The

reclaimed car bonnet, pock-marked by hail in the storm that hit Canberra in 2020, is a reminder

that the planet talks with changing weather while the Bogong, fragile, fights for its

survival as a recently declared endangered species. In the video work, I aim to connect our

common life, contrasting a recent interview with a landscaper at Australia’s Parliament House

and a fictional empathic conversation with a moth.

Part one: In conversation with a Bogong. Part two: They used to be a nuisance (A retelling of what a landscaper at Australian Parliament House told the artist on 31/05/2024).

Video, stereo channel, 1920 x 1080, H264, 30 FPS. Duration: 3:47” (Part of a 4-part installation)

Concept and script: Toni Hassan.

Original video shot with a smartphone: Alison Ford.

Editing and sound production: Oliver Martin. Voices: Lavinia Martin, Toni Hassan and Oliver Martin.