2017

Visible / Invisible, Manly Art Gallery and Museum

Ku-ring-gai pH Art + Science at Manly Art Gallery and Museum, NSW

An exhibition of collaborative installations by artists and scientists resulting from twelve months of investigating, experimenting and interrogating ideas and science inspired by Ku‐ring‐gai Chase National Park NSW

Visible Invisible, Lilly stem cross by Kassandra Bossell 2016 wood, wax and carbon small
Visible Invisible, Lilly stem cross,  2016,  wood, wax and carbon small
Visible Invisible, Tardigrade by Kassandra Bossell 2016 ABS Plastic 1000 x 40 x 45cm
Visible Invisible, Tardigrade,  2016,  ABS Plastic,  1000 x 40 x 45cm
Visible Invisible, Dinoflagellate by Kassandra Bossell 2016 Forton MG faux fur
Visible Invisible, Dinoflagellate,  2016,  Forton MG faux fur

A collaboration between ecologist, Garry Daly and myself, Visible / Invisible brings together human and non-human perspectives of ecosystems.

This exhibition presents organisms that are ordinarily invisible to the naked eye at a human, huggable scale and imagines what their perspectives might be.

Visible Invisible by Kassandra Bossell 2016  installation view
Visible Invisible,  2016,  installation view
Visible Invisible by Kassandra Bossell 2016  installation view
Visible Invisible,  2016,  installation view

I cannot claim to access the phenomenological viewpoint of another organism, including humans, but I can use empathy to imagine, to feel, to try to understand what it is like to be them.

As co-evolving organisms with humans, they have developed capabilities on which we depend, for example a phytoplankton creating oxygen.

Exploding Head, coal by Kassandra Bossell 2016 coal, ABS plastic installation view
Exploding Head, coal,  2016,  coal, ABS plastic,  installation view
Exploding Head, Casuarina by Kassandra Bossell 2016 ABS plastic
Exploding Head, Casuarina,  2016,  ABS plastic

Our project unveiled invisible beings from the complex networks of ecology to encourage an imagination of their non-human viewpoints. As a part of ten installation works at Manly Art Gallery and Museum, our ideas took their place in a larger discussion held between the artworks and as part of a series of artist talks and forums at the gallery.

Bat embryo by Kassandra Bossell 2016 wood, wax and carbon
Bat embryo,  2016,  wood, wax and carbon
Visible Invisible by Kassandra Bossell 2016  installation view
Visible Invisible,  2016,  installation view