“The River’s Edge” is a series of work by media artist Tracey M Benson. It builds on the ongoing project “Words for Water” initiated in 2013. This exhibition includes the site of Ginninderry and its proximity to the Murrumbidgee River bringing together video, and still imagery to evoke the beauty of River Country. The work explores the relationship of the river focusing on how it connects people and places, offering a meditation on the importance of respecting the life of the river. The Murrumbidgee connects Canberra to the Murray-Darling Basin, the 3rd largest inland river system in the world and the health of this river system is critical to the wellbeing of communities, both human and non-human.

As an artist, Tracey seeks to inspire a more mindful engagement and awareness of the environment around us and its critical role in our own health and well being. As humans, we have a responsibility to respect and nurture the waters and lands as they, in turn, are what sustains us physically, mentally and spiritually in our daily life.

This exhibition has two parts:

• a video piece titled “After the Fires”; and
• a series of images captured from Google Earth and digitally enhanced from 2019 – “When the River Runs Dry”

After the Fires | Ode to the Murrumbidgee (2020), Video Collage (NFS)

This video work is about The Murrumbidgee River – the flow after the catastrophic fires on the Summer of 2019/2020.

The sound work is a spontaneous composition by sound artist and healer Dian Booth, recorded at SCANZ CBR in 2017. Video footage and editing by Tracey M Benson, filmed at Uriarra Crossing January 2020 and Ginninderry March 2020 after the rain.

“The Rivers Edge” is now showing at The Link until April 12 2021

Download the exhibition catalogue here

When the River Runs Dry (2019). Digital Prints on Canvas (Not for sale)

This series of works was created as a response to the mass fish kills reported on the Darling River around Menindee Lakes in early 2019. The digitally manipulated works explore ideas of the river as a body with the source Google ‘snapshots’ revealing the diversity of the Murray Darling river system as a living entity.

Cropping Country.

Lithographic likeness.

Man made geometry.

Forest Dwellers.

In need of Nurture.

Menindee Patterns.

Menindee Views.

Menindee.

Parches.

Peninsula.

River Daydreams.

Sands of time.

Serpentine.

Shifting course.

The shape of water.