To Plant a Forest

This artwork was commissioned for Dear Agnes 2026, by Hobson’s Bay City Council in response to Agnes Denes’ A Forest for Australia ecological artwork at the Altona Water Treatment Plant.

I first encountered Agnes Denes’ A Forest for Australia in 2008 while researching ecological art during my Master of Fine Art. The work made a strong impression on me for both its vision and its vulnerability. Signs of drought and climate stress revealed the challenges of sustaining living artworks, and this experience has continued to inform my practice as I work with plants across diverse contexts.

Although located away from Denes’ original work, To Plant a Forest is guided by the concept, structure, and intent that underpin it. The artwork offers an intervention grounded in language, time, and place. Composed of Denes’ quotes embedded in the landscape, the installation invites viewers to walk in circular paths, echoing A Forest for Australia, while reflecting on Denes’ ideas about the ongoing relevance of ecological art amid growing environmental uncertainty.