recompose is a deck of 30 divination cards depicting the organisms present in the leaf litter, detritus and humus of the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens. During a one-on-one experience with the artist, or through the online platform, participants selected a card from the deck and received a unique reading that responded to the survival mechanisms and ecosystem interactions of the decomposer depicted on the chosen card.
Located in the Mossy Log Garden the project focuses on the processes of decay and transformation unfolding constantly at our feet. Decomposers such as fungi, bacteria, worms and insects play a critical role in the carbon cycle. As they break down dead organic matter, the decomposers move carbon both into the soil and into the atmosphere where it is absorbed through photosynthesis and stored in plants until they die and the cycle begins again. This work celebrates the magic and wonder of decomposition to consider how it isn’t just the end of everything—it is also the start.
This project was created for ‘Final Call’, an initiative of Horizon Festival curated by Megan Williams and presented in the natural environment of Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens (September—October, 2021). The project was supported by Sunshine Coast Regional Council and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
