'Leaves: Eco-Anxiety' Artist Talks: Alycia Bennett and Florian Cinco and Emiko Artemis

Hear from artists of Leaves: Eco-Anxiety in a series of conversations exploring their practices and works in the exhibition.

For this session, hear from exhibiting artists Alycia Bennett and Florian Cinco, and Emiko Artemis. Alycia and Florian will discuss the creation of their installation which combines a leafblower with a Filipino-style custom-made sound system and karaoke machine, which they will demonstrate. Emiko will share how their research into medieval mysticism has informed their performance installations and performance works in Eco-Anxiety, and will present a major new performance commission informed by mystical rites of penance on the day. 

About the Exhibition

Amidst ecological polycrisis, what practical, cultural or mystical remedies are possible? 

These works offer different ways into this question: A yarning circle creates space for conversations about Country, care and cultivating native species. Eucalyptus leaves frame and scent the gallery. A temple offers a place for quiet retreat and tea-drinking. Other works turn to ecological restoration, performance, ritual, magic and noise as ways of responding to environmental anxiety and grief.

Living with ecological crises has become a part of everyday life. Climate change, habitat loss and environmental degradation bring with them anxiety and grief about what is happening to the natural world, and uncertainty about what comes next.

'Leaves: Eco-Anxiety' brings together seven artists whose artworks respond to these feelings sympathetically and remedially. Across the exhibition, caring for Country and planting native habitat sit alongside contemplation, restoration, divination and drinking tea. Together, in different ways, they consider how we might care for the natural world while living with the knowledge of its increasing precarity.

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Support:

ACE is supported by the South Australian Government through Create SA and the Australian Government through Creative Australia.

Stephanie Doddridge is supported by Create SA and Bio·R and has also been supported by the Porter Street Fund.

Bryce Cawte is supported by City of Adelaide and has also been supported through a Carclew Fellowship.

The performance program is supported by City of Adelaide.

Images:

1: Emiko Artemis in studio (2026), Adelaide Contemporary Experimental. Photography by Lana Adams. 

2: Alycia Bennett (2023), 'Anoname'⁠

3: Alycia Bennett, ⁠Florian Cinco & Mark Valenzula, 'Buy 1 Take 1'⁠