Bogong Centre for Sound Culture: CURRENT

Brought together with a mix of disciplines which included sound art, video art and photography that focussed on the Kiewa Hydro Scheme, CURRENT drew out themes of environmental sustainability, environmental art, sonic and spatial practice, and soundscape ecology.

Curated by Philip Samartzis and Madelynne Cornish, CURRENT featured leading national and international artists who explored issues of environmental sustainability in innovative ways through their use of a range of audio, audio-visual and photographic methods to describe the industrialised landscape of the Bogong High Plains and Kiewa Valley.

The Australian Alps produces 80% of Australia's fresh water supply yet only comprises 1% of its landmass. While the bulk of it is designated as a national park, the Australian Alps were also the site of quite complex industrial and commercial enterprises, including alpine resorts and hydroelectric power schemes. Hydroelectricity is posited as a sustainable source of renewable energy.

Through massive earthworks and complex technical infrastructure, pressurised water is mobilised to generate the electricity required to power the everyday spaces that we inhabit.

The range of infrastructure used to exploit the gravitational force of falling or flowing water, including turbines, pumps, sub stations, dams and aqueducts and the manner in which they inhabit the natural environment, provided a rich source for investigation for the artists.

The relationship between the natural and constructed environment used to collect and exploit the water supply was complex and variegated which provided a compelling subject for consideration, given the discourse which surrounded sustainable methods of energy production.