A new perspective on heavy metals

Published on 10 July 2019

Collaborative duo Rachel Peachey and Paul Mosig have been selected from a field of high calibre applicants to serve as the city's Artists In Residence for 2019.

The Artist In Residence program, which is supported by CreateNSW and Broken Hill City Council, awards $20,000 toward an arts project in Broken Hill that ultimately aims to promote creativity and spark social change.

Their project for Broken Hill, currently titled The Terrestrial Scene, will contemplate geological time and explore the surrounding landscape.

Peachey & Mosig will be working closely with people from the community to tell a story of landscape transformation, lead concentration, and community response to adversity.

Using a non-traditional exhibition space, the duo plan to combine projection, screen-based work, sound and found objects for their final exhibition here in Broken Hill.

Council's Gallery and Museum Program Officer, Blake Griffiths, said the duo will be keen to meet with locals to discuss what effects mining has had on locals physically, psychologically, personally, and on a wider cultural level.

"They're interested to find out how we see ourselves now and into the future in relation to mining, and also contemplate whether people are naturally drawn to landscapes that could have an adverse effect on health or longevity," he said.

"They've been exploring the effects of lead concentration and Broken Hill’s mining history, and I think it will be exciting to see an immersive sound and video interpretation of a topic that is usually presented through rather sterile, scientific data.

"The artists have already spent time walking in the surrounds of Broken Hill, photographing and documenting their experiences, and the resulting exhibition will focus on how we think about our own story as individuals living in this unique environment."

Peachey & Mosig will be in Broken Hill until July 20 to work on their project, with an exhibition to be held in Broken Hill during November 2019.