FRENCH artists Marion Laval-Jeantet and Benoit Mangin, from Paris-based Art Oriente Objet, were in Mandurah recently to research a possible project focusing on the Lake Clifton thrombolites that could bring the pair back to Mandurah next year.
They were in WA as guests of SymbioticA and IASKA regarding a possible arts residency partnership under the Adaptation project managed by SymbioticA, and the Spaced project managed by IASKA.
IASKA is a Perth-based arts development organisation that arranges international artist-in-residence projects in WA.
SymbioticA is an award-winning organisation based at UWA that develops and brokers arts residencies in scientific/research centres.
SymbioticA has run artist-in-residence project Adaptation for the past two years with the focus on Lake Clifton, bringing artists and students to the lake and gradually raising the profile of environmental issues surrounding it.
The City of Mandurah has partnered SymbioticA on the Adaptation project and is looking to form a partnership with IASKA on the Spaced project.
Lake Clifton has one of the biggest thrombolite reefs in the world. The bacteria that forms the reef was the first bacteria on earth to create oxygen, linking the thrombolites to the very early origins of life on earth.
They have been listed as “critically endangered” by the Federal Environment Minister.