Trouble In Paradise Installation

Trouble in Paradise – Climate Change in the Pacific

National Library, Wellington | 4 November 2021 – 30 April 2022

Guest Artist: Sheyne Tuffery. Title of Work: Escalate (High Rise Pacific)

Mixed Media Installation

Escalate (High Rise Pacific) responds to the urgent climate threats facing Pacific island nations, focusing on the low-lying atolls of Kiribati and Tuvalu at risk from rising sea levels. The installation explores a hypothetical solution where sustainable Pacific architecture combined with innovative technology might enable these islands to rise above the encroaching ocean.

Employing materials such as recycled polystyrene, fishing line, sinkers, woodblock prints, acrylic paint, and motion graphic projection, the work integrates traditional techniques with contemporary media to embody the tension between resilience and vulnerability experienced by these communities.

This piece was featured in a group exhibition organized in conjunction with the British Council, showcasing photographers and visual artists from diverse Pacific island nations engaging with pressing environmental and cultural issues.

Kiribati’s situation is further complicated by China’s proposal to dredge lagoons for land reclamation and industrial development, posing risks to coral reefs, marine species, and traditional fishing ways of life. Kiribati’s strategic location also draws geopolitical interests tied to fishing grounds and seabed minerals, highlighting complex environmental and cultural challenges.

Building on my environmental art practice and collaboration with Greenpeace, this work incorporates recycled materials, woodblock prints, fishing gear, and motion graphics. It reimagines traditional architectural forms as delicate, floating vessels that embody the resilience and vulnerability of Pacific communities.