‘Grotesquely amusing’ exhibition at Cairns Museum to spark debate about the future of plasticity
A provocative exhibition where fashion, art and activism collide will encourage visitors to imagine a future world full of plastic while questioning their daily contribution to it.
Staged at Cairns Museum from November 19, 2022 – February 25, 2023, Beach Couture: A Haute Mess by Marina DeBris features wearable pieces made from trash collected from beaches and oceans.
Described as “grotesquely amusing”, the exhibition will be complemented by a fun, hands-on school holiday program and a free public talk by Distinguished Professor Stewart Lockie titled Plastic Futures, or a better Anthropocene.
Marina’s artistic journey began more than a decade ago, when she would collect trash during her daily runs on Venice Beach in Los Angeles as her way of helping to maintain its natural beauty.
To draw attention to the alarming developments she was seeing on the beach, Marina began turning the trash she collected into art. Since then, her works have been exhibited in the United States, Japan and Australia.
In an exclusive event for Cairns Museum members, Marina will present an artist’s talk at the exhibition’s opening night celebration on November 18.
As part of the broader discussion around plasticity of the future prompted by the exhibition, Cairns Museum will also host a six-week school holiday program.
Held from 13 December 2022 – 21 January 2023, the school holiday program will include workshops such as recycled Christmas decorations, a collaborative bottle cap mural, and the creation of hologram-viewers from old plastic containers.
School holiday workshops are suitable for children aged 4-12 years and cost $10 for members, $15 for non-members. A range of free-with-entry activities inspired by the exhibition will also take place, such as the Marine Couture Scavenger Hunt.
The Director of James Cook University’s Cairns Institute, Distinguished Professor Stewart Lockie, will present a free public talk titled Plastic Futures, or a better Anthropocene aimed at engaging the audience with the idea of plasticity of the future.
To be held at 5.30pm on Friday November 25 at the museum, Professor Lockie will ask the audience to imagine the future world of plasticity with a positive outlook. RSVPs are essential via TryBooking at this link.
Cairns Museum curator Dr Daniela Vavrova said visitors to the exhibition can contribute to the broader discussion about plasticity of the future.
“The Cairns Museum is delighted to welcome Marina and Beach Couture to Cairns for the first time, particularly with our strong attachment to the preservation of the Great Barrier Reef here in the Tropical North,” Dr Vavrova said.
“The exhibition invites viewers to engage with the problem of plastic pollution, with these ideas to be featured on our social media platforms and in the temporary gallery itself as part of the greater discussion prompted by the exhibition.
“Anyone wishing to contribute to their ideas can tag @cairnsmuseum and use the hashtag #BeachCoutureCM.”