First two artists appointed for residencies at Burnley campus

Keg de Souza is an architecturally trained artist of Goan ancestry who creates work that explores plant politics, themes of displacement and the stories of plants, people and place, while Francis Carmody’s practice traces social and natural networks as a form of speculative storytelling through a variety of creative mediums. 

Through the residency, the artists will have access to a studio at the Burnley Campus and the Plant Trials, as well as access to living botanical collections, nurseries and glasshouses, and a wide range of materials from the University’s archival and art collections. Embedded in the horticultural campus, the artists will connect with academics, ecologists and botanists, discover the nuances of the plants, and immerse themselves in the research project. 

Inspired by the research, the artists will create work that gives a creative voice to the Plant Trials and related concerns around ecological sustainability and renewal. In collaboration with the University’s Faculties, curriculum and public outcomes will be produced including education programs with University of Melbourne students from a range of disciplines, exhibitions, publications, and events in the Test Garden at Fed Square.

The artist-in-residence program, facilitated by MAP Co and the University of Melbourne, is supported as part of the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project. The program offers yearly studio residencies to visual artists whose practice is informed by a deep interest in plants, horticulture and ecology. 

The Melbourne Arts Precinct Plant Trials is a partnership between The University of Melbourne (Burnley Campus), MAP Co, Development Victoria, design practice Hassell, plant practice Super Bloom and international horticulturalists James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnett. The Test Garden at Fed Square is supported by Bupa.

Artist statements

Keg de Souza – My residency program is situated in Place, building on my ongoing practice that examines lesser-known stories of plants. Species from the Melbourne Arts Precinct Plant Trials will serve as a starting point for my research – beginning with the endemic species, then moving further afield to trace plant journeys from across the globe, as part of a larger narrative of economic botany. In the past few hundred years, the movement of plants that has always occurred has rapidly accelerated, due to colonial expansion. This human-driven plant movement will be examined to look at some of the massive impacts this has had on land and landscape, and how this has rapidly pushed us towards climate crisis.  

Francis Carmody – Resonant Grounds explores the intersections of urban ecology, technology, and artistic speculation. Informed by research at the University of Melbourne’s Burnley Campus, the project will investigate future-proofing strategies for urban biodiversity, plant resilience, and ecological restoration. Using the unique position of an artist, Resonant Grounds will extend Burnley’s research into speculative, immersive experiences that uncover both past and future possibilities for cohabitation between human and non-human worlds. 

Quote attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks: 

“The Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation is providing exciting opportunities for independent artists to experiment and approach their work in new and interesting ways. This residency program is a great example of how the creative industries are primed to work with other fields – including scientific research and education – to bring a creative perspective to the world around us.” 

Quote attributable to Sarah Tutton, Director of Programming & Interpretation, MAP Co: 

“The Melbourne Arts Precinct Plant Trials is at the forefront of research and experimentation in the development of Laak Boorndap, and the artist-in-residence program will similarly support visual artists to pursue an in-depth research project, through creative, critical and interdisciplinary practice.” 
“Keg and Francis were selected for their commitment to uncovering and exploring the stories of plants, their histories and relationships with humans, and we’re excited to bring to life the outcomes from this artistic practice through public exhibition, events and publication.”

Quote attributable to Keg de Souza:

“I’m looking forward to searching for and learning plant-related stories that have been overlooked or overshadowed, and sharing these narratives in new ways.” 

Quote attributable to Francis Carmody:

“I'm excited to engage with the Plant Trials and explore how novel material experimentation can intersect with ecological research. Through the residency, I hope to develop work that responds to the site’s living systems, drawing from the University of Melbourne’s research context to expand my practice into new mediums." 

Lead photo credit: Phoebe Powell