"These islands have a long history of isolation from each other and from other landmasses. This isolation, combined with the harsh climate, and a relative lack of human modification, has resulted in the evolution of biota of significant scientific interest."
This is a quote from my research that has driven my concept behind the exhibition. I like the idea of placing this in the context of the container as well, because as the viewer, the enclosed space in the container can make one feel very isolated. Thus a parallel can be drawn between that experience and the isolation of the islands. The experience will no doubt be totally different as with one a scenic view and rich wildlife is offered while the other is a metal box. However I want to marry the two environments.
My idea is to display a range of promotional cruise/tour photographs from the islands. The floors will be lined with sheets of acetate and fastened well enough to last 2 days of people walking through. Next there will be a pad of invisible ink right at the entrance of the container (the first step onto it). The ink will be non toxic and will show no colour on shoes or effect the viewer in any way. On the third day the acetate sheets will be lifted and placed over the photographs. The third day will be lit in a dim black light that will show the photographs, but also the trails and marks left by viewers from the previous two days.
My intention is not to discourage people from being interested in the beauty the islands have to offer, but to be more contious of what effect they can have, and when they leave, how it remains. This can hopefully also begin a dialougue over the monotisation of the islands, how to appreciate and respect it, and how to preserve it. As humans we have a bad history of destroying the habitat of wildlife and fauna across the globe, and perhaps physically seeing this can add to the overall conversation.
Things that I have kept in mind included:
-keeping the space clean and open to make it accessible for as many people as possible
-how to legally get around using the images?
-ethics in terms of using the viewer to be part of the exhibition without consent?
This is a quote from my research that has driven my concept behind the exhibition. I like the idea of placing this in the context of the container as well, because as the viewer, the enclosed space in the container can make one feel very isolated. Thus a parallel can be drawn between that experience and the isolation of the islands. The experience will no doubt be totally different as with one a scenic view and rich wildlife is offered while the other is a metal box. However I want to marry the two environments.
My idea is to display a range of promotional cruise/tour photographs from the islands. The floors will be lined with sheets of acetate and fastened well enough to last 2 days of people walking through. Next there will be a pad of invisible ink right at the entrance of the container (the first step onto it). The ink will be non toxic and will show no colour on shoes or effect the viewer in any way. On the third day the acetate sheets will be lifted and placed over the photographs. The third day will be lit in a dim black light that will show the photographs, but also the trails and marks left by viewers from the previous two days.
My intention is not to discourage people from being interested in the beauty the islands have to offer, but to be more contious of what effect they can have, and when they leave, how it remains. This can hopefully also begin a dialougue over the monotisation of the islands, how to appreciate and respect it, and how to preserve it. As humans we have a bad history of destroying the habitat of wildlife and fauna across the globe, and perhaps physically seeing this can add to the overall conversation.
Things that I have kept in mind included:
-keeping the space clean and open to make it accessible for as many people as possible
-how to legally get around using the images?
-ethics in terms of using the viewer to be part of the exhibition without consent?
All Islands are world heritage sites
Making the entire exhibition about the native birds?
Introduced animals?
The Auckland, Campbell, and Antipodes Island groups are all volcanic in origin. Auckland and Campbell Islands are based on old shield volcanoes, with granite, greywacke, and schist basement rock exposed in many areas. The Bounty Islands are entirely composed of granite basement rocks. Macquarie Island is geologically distinct and lies on the Indo-Australian and Pacific Plate boundary. It is the exposed crest of the oceanic plate, formed at a spreading ridge. Its geological features are the basis for its World Heritage Site listing, because it is the best preserved example of oceanic crust formed in deep water and since exposed above sea level. Volcanic rocks comprise 80 percent of the Island, with excellent examples of pillow lavas and other extrusive rocks (WCMC 1997).
Only focus on one island?
These islands have a long history of isolation from each other and from other landmasses. This isolation, combined with the harsh climate, and a relative lack of human modification, has resulted in the evolution of biota of significant scientific interest. While species richness is relatively low, reflecting the high latitude, there are several notable features of the islands’ flora. These include species at the limit of their ecological tolerance (eg. tree ferns - Cyathea smithii is the southernmost tree fern in the world) and a high number of endemics. Many plant species found at or near sea level in this region are also found in New Zealand in sub-alpine vegetation sequences. In general, the islands’ flora is transitional between the temperate New Zealand flora and the circumpolar, less diverse Subantarctic flora. The islands in this ecoregion, excluding the nearly barren Bounty Island, comprise a Centre of Plant Diversity (Given and Hnatiuk 1995). The terrestrial flora contains about 260 taxa, of which 35 are endemic to the region.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/aa1101
Making the entire exhibition about the native birds?
Introduced animals?
The Auckland, Campbell, and Antipodes Island groups are all volcanic in origin. Auckland and Campbell Islands are based on old shield volcanoes, with granite, greywacke, and schist basement rock exposed in many areas. The Bounty Islands are entirely composed of granite basement rocks. Macquarie Island is geologically distinct and lies on the Indo-Australian and Pacific Plate boundary. It is the exposed crest of the oceanic plate, formed at a spreading ridge. Its geological features are the basis for its World Heritage Site listing, because it is the best preserved example of oceanic crust formed in deep water and since exposed above sea level. Volcanic rocks comprise 80 percent of the Island, with excellent examples of pillow lavas and other extrusive rocks (WCMC 1997).
Only focus on one island?
These islands have a long history of isolation from each other and from other landmasses. This isolation, combined with the harsh climate, and a relative lack of human modification, has resulted in the evolution of biota of significant scientific interest. While species richness is relatively low, reflecting the high latitude, there are several notable features of the islands’ flora. These include species at the limit of their ecological tolerance (eg. tree ferns - Cyathea smithii is the southernmost tree fern in the world) and a high number of endemics. Many plant species found at or near sea level in this region are also found in New Zealand in sub-alpine vegetation sequences. In general, the islands’ flora is transitional between the temperate New Zealand flora and the circumpolar, less diverse Subantarctic flora. The islands in this ecoregion, excluding the nearly barren Bounty Island, comprise a Centre of Plant Diversity (Given and Hnatiuk 1995). The terrestrial flora contains about 260 taxa, of which 35 are endemic to the region.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/aa1101
Snares Island
The main island of the Snares group, North East Island, as its name suggests, lies at the northeastern corner of the group. It has roughly the shape of a triangle, but with two concave edges, this causing both the southern and northwestern coast to be in the form of large irregular bays. Cliffs and reefs are found along the northeastern coast and part of the southern coast, with the islands highest point – rising to 130 metres – being located on the long westward-pointing finger which lies between them. In contrast, the east coast is relatively flat and sloping, and provides the only easy access-point for landing, close to Station Point. Several small bays dot the east coast, among them Punui Bay, Ho Ho Bay, and Mollymawk Bay. The island's northernmost and southernmost points are the prosaically named North Promontory and South Promontory. Several small islets, the Daption Rocks, lie off the tip of North Promontory, and are the island group's northernmost point.
The Auckland Islands lie 465 km south-south-east of New Zealand’s South Island port of Bluff. They are the largest of New Zealand’s subantarctic islands, with a combined area of 625 sq km. As well as having a wide variety of plants and wildlife they also have a rich human history.
The main island of the Snares group, North East Island, as its name suggests, lies at the northeastern corner of the group. It has roughly the shape of a triangle, but with two concave edges, this causing both the southern and northwestern coast to be in the form of large irregular bays. Cliffs and reefs are found along the northeastern coast and part of the southern coast, with the islands highest point – rising to 130 metres – being located on the long westward-pointing finger which lies between them. In contrast, the east coast is relatively flat and sloping, and provides the only easy access-point for landing, close to Station Point. Several small bays dot the east coast, among them Punui Bay, Ho Ho Bay, and Mollymawk Bay. The island's northernmost and southernmost points are the prosaically named North Promontory and South Promontory. Several small islets, the Daption Rocks, lie off the tip of North Promontory, and are the island group's northernmost point.
The Auckland Islands are made up of the remains of two ancient volcanoes which have been subsequently cut by glaciers. The terrain is rugged and mountainous, with steep cliffs on the western and southern sides and deep valleys with long inlets to the east.
Auckland Island is the main island in the group. It is approx 40 km long and 12 km wide at its widest point and has an approximate land area of 510 sq km.
The group includes many other smaller islands. The largest of these is 10,000 ha Adams Island, which lies south of the main island.
This is followed by 600 ha Enderby Island, 1km north of the main island, and Disappointment Island, 8 km west of the main island.
By the 21st century the Auckland Islands had become the primary breeding location of the New Zealand sea lion.
The Auckland Islands have the richest flora of the five island groups – 233 taxa have been recorded, 196 of which are native.
The vegetation of the Auckland Islands subdivides by distinct altitudinal zones with the width of each changing as you get further south. In the salt spray zone there is often a herb turf. Above it, in exposed sites, you will find tussock land, with associated herbs. The only sizable dune area is Sandy Bay on Enderby Island.
Beyond the coastal zone, in more sheltered sites of the north and east, is a forest made up totally of southern rata (metrosideros) – the same species as in the South Island. The many twisted and gnarled stems of the rata give the forest a haunted atmosphere.
The soft tree fern also grows on the Auckland Islands – the most southern habitat for a tree fern.
Introduced animals have had a profound impact on the vegetation of the Auckland Islands. Pigs and goats on the Auckland Island, and rabbits and cattle on Enderby Island, have removed the megaherbs from accessible sites.
The most obvious sign of the influence of animals are the extensive grassland areas on Enderby Island and the rooted up areas on the Aucklands, where the pigs have been digging for worms and fly larvae. Only on Adams Island, and some of the other smaller offshore islands, can the full selection of megaherbs be seen at their glorious best.
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| Stilbocarpa polaris, Enderby Island |