KEPT [AMENDS]

In 'Kept [amends]' (2026), Ferracin asks us to consider what it means to introduce exotic species to create beauty or familiar recollections without acknowledging possible environmental consequences.

During the early colonial era in Australia, the South American/Asian/African ornamental vine 'Cardiospermum grandiflorum' was introduced to Australia to decorate gardens, specifically for its attractive papery puffed-up capsules. The invasive nature of the plant was disregarded, resulting in its usurpation of the native Australian bush.

Ferracin has observed for years the climbing balloon vine suffocating the native 'Casuarina gluaca' (swamp sheoak) growing along the river system and habitat where she lives.

Her amends are to rewild the casuarina tree, mindful of the important environmental role it plays in stabilising riverbanks and fixing nitrogen.

By gathering, collecting, assembling and disassembling 'Cardiospermum grandiflorum' stems, seeds and seed pods into aesthetic growing shapes, Ferracin wants to mark the importance of past, present and future choices concerning introduced species.

The process consists of six months of manual work in harvesting the vine, separating its seeds from the pods and creating repetitive ornamental seedling surfaces and soft pod sculptures.

Through these slow process amending actions, the artist embodies the ecological legacy and colonial reparation for a native environmental redemption, culminating with the final cathartic act of burning the entire artwork in an enclosed pit once the show ends.

In 'Kept [amends]_ Awareness', Ferracin uses mixed media and organic filaments to mimic the invasive and dense growing behaviour of the noxious climber vine. This, to suggest a feeling of insidious intrusion and enveloping attraction in the small backroom gallery. The immersive work is staged in the same way the vine occupies the space in nature by stealing air, light and essential nutrients from the surrounding native casuarina trees.

On the walls, video screens are witnessing the 'Cardiospermum grandiflorum' vine growing onto the casuarina trees within the habitat while integrating the work-in-progress reportage showing the artwork making and the burning of the vine components into a releasing fire ritual.

The sonic presence senses the seeds falling – imagine them falling onto the soil –, causing an emphasised concussion and generating a deep resonating bass sound to symbolise the irreversible damage of colonisation.

In contrast, the gentle acoustic lyrical murmur of the wind whispering through the needle-segmented foliage of the casuarina tree named after its sound as the “whistling tree”.