‘Possible’ by Tori Stowe, Visual arts
Venue: Johan Carinus Art Centre
Walkabout/Review
By Tanya Maswaure
With all that is happening in the world, environmentally, politically and even socially, it is so easy to fall into a habit of catastrophising. Everything seems so out of reach and beyond our control, and yet Tori Stowe reminds us that all impact, even negligible, is indeed possible.
The Johan Carinus Art Centre is home to several unique exhibitions curated for the National Arts Festival. In an isolated section behind the lush gardens, Tori Stowe’s exhibition and workshop space welcomes art enthusiasts with a message at the entrance: ‘You’re going to make an impact’. The Bathurst artists present an interactive exhibition titled Possible, which encourages attendees to face their impact on the world and what is truly possible within our advanced world.
The most striking visual elements of the space are the paper cut-outs that are sprawled onto the floor, moved and spread by human traffic and Makhanda winds. Tori especially welcomes children to walk on them and even cut out some more. She says, “This is a reminder to them that they are part of the world, not on top of it.” During her workshops, she allows the children to add to the art as well as genuinely visualise how they have a direct connection to the world, and how they can influence it positively.
The walls carry a similar story, with a visual narration of a growing and shifting ecosystem. Tori’s multimedia pieces express the different interactions between nature and humans, and they show how our homes can be a start to a bigger movement.
Between the fascinating botanical visuals, the exhibition is scattered with political commentary, specifically how our leaders influence impact, but also how the people’s relationship with these leaders can have a domino effect on how we interact with our ecosystems.
As daunting as it may sound, Tori assures us through her work that “We can recreate our own little world, even starting in our garden. Nothing lives in isolation.”
