Ensayos is a collective research practice centred on multispecies dialogues, coastal health and peatland protection. Initiated on the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in 2010 by curator Camila Marambio, Ensayos (meaning “inquiries”, “essays” or “rehearsals” in English) first focused solely on the ecopolitical issues impacting the Fuegian archipelago and its inhabitants–past and present, human and nonhuman. Now, other archipelagos have come into view, with research “pods” growing in Norway, New York and Australia.
The mission of Ensayos is to do eco-cultural conservation work in Tierra del Fuego and other archipelagos through collaborative art, science and community projects in partnership with existing decolonial, ecological, and cultural conservation initiatives.
I’ve been coordinating Ensayos activities in Queensland since 2018 including: collective residencies on Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island) - the land and waters belonging to the Quandamooka people; and our research pods' contributions to exhibitions, performances and publications nationally and internationally.
Australian research pod
Freja Carmichael is a Ngugi woman and curator belonging to the Quandamooka People of Moreton Bay. Over the past decade, Freja has worked alongside First Peoples stories, artists and communities on exhibitions, programming, collection research and documentation in curatorial roles with art centres, regional galleries, cultural gatherings, contemporary art spaces and national and international art institutions. Freja’s work has been dedicated to celebrating First Peoples weaving practices and knowledges and creating sites for exchange and collaboration through curatorial approaches. In 2024 she was appointed as a Curator of UQ Art Museum.
Elisa Jane (Leecee) Carmichael is a Ngugi woman belonging to the Quandamooka People (Moreton Island/Mulgumpin and North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah, Queensland). Her practice visually explores the beauty of nature and surrounding environment, drawing inspiration from her cultural identity and heritage.
Sonja is a senior Quandamooka weaver. In her practice, she draws inspiration from the many stories connected to traditional Quandamooka weaving and also explores contemporary materials and techniques – in particular, discarded ‘ghost nets’ and fishing lines – that directly respond to concerns about the preservation of the natural environment. An active member in her community, she is a leader in the regeneration of Quandamooka weaving, passing on cultural knowledge and skills through workshops, exhibitions, and field research.
Renee Rossini (AUS) is an ecologist and educator interested in the overlap of scientific practice and environmental philosophy. Completing her PhD at University Queensland (2018) working on the conservation of endangered arid-zone wetlands, she has fifteen peer reviewed research publications and has edited or contributed to three published books. Renee has rich experience along the coastlines to the arid zone, but always with a strong focus on the conservation of Australia’s unique flora and fauna. Her practice is rooted in Autecology and queer ecology - both heuristic led scientific philosophies that center the diversity of narratives that exist in each organism and its interaction with its kin and its environment. She continues to work in tertiary education, the not-for-profit conservation sector, and as a private consultant. Through her ongoing research and education positions, Renee works to connect people to the collective real-world classrooms in our surroundings, using the ecology and biology of the local environment as a learning tool. She is an invited collaborator of First Nations on their Country, joining on First Nations led ecological and restoration practices in collaboration with Quandamooka Country of south-eastern Queensland, and central Queensland coastal Koinmerburra Country