With BEN BLAKEBROUGH + ANT FARM. A site specific, floating experiment, facilitating discussion of our waterways.
The Floating Embassy
The Floating Embassy is an ongoing, collaborative and site specific project by the New Landscapes Institute. It takes its inspiration from Ant Farm’s un-built “Dolphin Embassy” (1973- 1978), the utopian art and architecture collective’s un-realised proposal for an ‘interspecies communication station’ on Australian waters in the 1970s.
In 2022 the project was launched and exhibited at the 23nd Biennale of Sydney – Rivus.
It brings together artists, architects, researchers and designers to collaborate on ideas around floating architecture, archives and the unbuilt, animal-human communication, marine science and strange oceanic phenomena.
The project consists of
Archives and New Research
The project continues the New Landscapes Institute’s interest into the Un-built – unrealised architecture and the living archive. For this project we began by working with surviving members of Ant Farm Curtis Schreier and Chip Lord into the original Dolphin Embassy vision and archives. In particular the ideas of Doug Michels (1943-2003) through the collection of collaborator Alexander Morphett. This project includes research into the Ant Farm archives from GSAPP and BAM/PFA, as well as a collection of local ephemera relating to Ant Farm’s time in Australia never before exhibited together.
Creative Development.
A series of workshops and residencies were held to conduct site-specific and design research in New South Wales.
Eden Harbour – History of human / Orca relationships and reciprocal hunting practices and the site of Doug Michel’s death.
Newington Munitions Armory – Research into remediation of toxic waterlands.
Parramatta River and the Pittwater – Collaborative design workshops around floating architecture and water based communities.
The Floating Embassy Vessel
A reimagined Dolphin Embassy – a mobile, site-specific vessel which moved from Sydney Harbour, The Newington Armory and the Pittwater. Designed and built as a collaboration, the mobile pontoon facilitates creative research in response to its locations on and around water. It explores what a contemporary Dolphin Embassy might be today, re-situating the experiment within our current urban condition. Bringing together artists, architects, designers, marine researchers, and the public, it encourages discussions on water. Design collaborators included M.A.C studio & Second edition.
Exhibition
An exhibition of curated archival material, ephemera and unseen designs documenting the Ant farm’s time in Australia. Archives and drawings provided by Ant Farm founders Curtis Schreier and Chip Lord and Alexandra Morphett.
Public program and Research (ongoing)
A series of ongoing public programs and workshops investigating how experimental spatial practices can respond to our changing oceans and waterways. Bringing together artists, architects, designers, marine researchers, and the public, the Floating Embassy will host a series of discussions on water, allowing small groups to discuss topics whilst floating temprarily in non-human aquatic space.
Exhibition commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with generous support from Australia Council for the Arts and Create NSW and generous assistance from the City of Sydney and made possible with the support of the Newington Armory, Sydney Olympic Park Authority.
Images
