OUT OF THE BLUE

featuring Niki Sperou & local school students

1 - 14 March 2019
Southlink

Out of the Blue is a collaborative art and science project designed and developed by artist Niki Sperou with scientific support from The Cooperative Research Centre for Marine Bio-Products and Biotechnology (MBB-CRC). Words and images by Limestone Coast school students, Bob Baldock from the State Herbarium of South Australia and scientists from MBB-CRC are stitched together into a series of cyanotype (blue print) quilts.

Via a series of art and science workshops held in December 2018, the project aimed to inform Limestone Coast students about the environmental, technological and economic potential of local beach cast marine algae. Students produced responses to science tutorials and created cyanotype images of algae specimens provided by MBB-CRC and dried by the artist.

South Australian marine algae are abundant; there are three to four times as many species of algae as there are corals on the Great Barrier Reef, including 70 percent that don’t grow elsewhere. This exhibition highlights what can be done with seaweed from environmental science and industry perspectives. Through art, social awareness of the south-eastern Australian coastline as a hotspot for a huge diversity of marine algae and its technological potential is fostered.

PROJECT PARTNERS
Niki Sperou – Artist in residence Department of Medical Biotechnology Flinders University; Project concept, workshop leader, project design, fabrication.
Professor Wei Zhang and team – Flinders University, CEO, The Cooperative Research Centre for Marine Bio-Products and Biotechnology (MBB-CRC); scientific support.
Carolyn Ricci and Bob Baldock – The State Herbarium of South Australia; The Brian Womersley algae collection, scientific support and microscopic imagery.
Linda Cooper – STEM Ambassador Program; workshop and school curriculum support.
Victor Harbor Primary school & Ben Jucius – student workshop participation.
Allendale East Area School & Julie Murdoch – student workshop participation and curriculum.

Inspiring SA 2018 Science and Art Working Together 2018 South Australian Regional Science-Art Collaboration Grant.