Episode 12: Reflecting on the Lutruwita | Tasmania season

Episode 12: Reflecting on the Lutruwita | Tasmania season

Season 2 Lutruwita | Tasmania

Isobelle and Teyah, 2022, from the series A Surrounded Beauty, Sarah Rhodes

We reflect on the Art Destinations Lutruwita | Tasmania season in a wrap-up episode that draws links between the episodes and between season 1 Venice and season 2 Lutruwita | Tasmania.

In this series, we explore art, place, and belonging through the perspectives of ten artists and writers. World leading philosopher on place Jeff Malpas lays the foundation for the Lutruwita | Tasmania season as his conversation frames the role of place in thinking. We examine how artists’ practices are shaped by cultural memory and the natural environment. 

In this episode we cover: :

• examine art as activism from the perspectives of Matthew Newton, David Stephenson and Raymond Arnold,

• the role of isolation in forming a connection with nature, building community and finding resonances interationally as shared through the work of Troy Ruffels, Zoe Grey and Ellen Dahl,

• imagination and place through Pat Brassington’s surreal works explore feminist themes while reflecting an imagined sense of place,

• stories that give access to isolated worlds through Adam Thompson’s short stories based on his Indigenous culture and Lisa Garland’s stories behind the portraits of her North-West Coast community, and

• we draw parallels between the Venice and Lutruwita | Tasmania seasons. In Venice, artists embrace marginality as a strength, collaborating on smaller islands in the lagoon to reimagine shared spaces. In Tasmania, geographical isolation inspires self-reflection and deep connection with the natural world.

• In summary, being on the edge—geographically, culturally, or conceptually—offers unique opportunities for reflection, innovation, and meaningful engagement with place and environment. We explore how art thrives in these peripheral spaces.