By Tyler Wright
As you walk through the gravel path to Sherbrooke’s Alfred Nicholas Gardens this February, you may hear the sound of deep breaths inhaling and exhaling from nearby trees.
The sounds are not coming from koalas or local wildlife, but rather recordings of artist Peter Mcilwain’s own breath as part of his installation ‘Lung Trees.’
As part of Burrinja’s Climate Change Biennale’s Live Actions program showcasing performances in the ngurrak barring (Ridgewalk) area and beyond, Mcilwain has used sound to signify the carbon cycle, and hopes the installation can help others engage themselves in the issue of climate change.
“We need to mobilise as much resources as we can to address it, but you just can’t be at that alert level all the time,” Mcilwain said.
“I know myself, and I imagine everybody else, switches off emotionally from it, so you get a bit disconnected.
“Your breath is the most fundamental thing to you. That’s how you live. You can go without water, you can go without food, but not long without breath.”
Speakers positioned near various trees in the space are controlled by a panel, with sensors initiating the sounds for passersby.
“This kind of thing has got a very long [presence] post World War II… thinking about sound and placing sound in the space and installing it in the space,” Mcilwain said.
“But it’s hard to do and it’s not common for that reason. That’s why it’s probably not done as much.
“You’ve got to work with electronics and dirt…they don’t mix.”
Mcilwain also exhibited his ‘Bird Child Spirit’ sound installation in Selby from 6 March to 19 April 2022, where visitors could hear recordings of children imitating birds while walking through a short trail.
“Sound is a thing you’re in rather than a thing that you can look at or separate yourself from. You’re in it, and so it’s more subtle in many ways…you’ve got to pay more attention, so it’s a harder medium to work with than visuals,” he said.
“But It’s unique in that sense. You’re creating a world. You’re creating an environment rather than an object.”
‘Lung Trees’ opened to the public on Wednesday 1 February and will finish on Sunday 26 February, coinciding with four other experiences in the Live Actions Program.
The Environmental Performance Authority (EPA) has created a walking performance called ‘Climate Distraction’ which will take place at Osprey Track in Mount Dandenong on Saturday 18 February at 12pm and 3pm.
On Sunday 26 February, artist Niki Shi and collaborators will be conducting a performance about soil called ‘BIOME’ at 4pm and 6pm at the forecourt of the Inspiro Community Health Hub and community garden in Belgrave.
The Burrinja Climate Change Biennale is delivered in partnership with Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, ngurrak barring/RidgeWalk, Yarra Ranges Council and Your Library.
