The Future of the Dark @UNSW House | Sun 8 Nov

It is ingrained for us to fear the dark, the unknown. Seen as a mysterious entity, there is a need to lift the veil of the unfamiliar. From matter to terrain, oceans to skies, these conversations will bring to light new discoveries that will pave the way for better futures.

The Future of the Dark @UNSW House | Sunday, 8 November sessions*

*To attend events during the Powerhouse Parramatta opening weekend on 7–8 November, please book a free general admission ticket. Select this event’s date and session time or select an earlier arrival time. 

Seeing In The Dark

1–1.40pm | Sunday 8 November

Explorers of dark skies, deep oceans and vast poles: acclaimed artist Tavares Strachan illuminates the lives and stories of trailblazers omitted from history.

Dark Skies

3–3.40pm | Sunday 8 November

Sky Country holds cultural, spiritual and legal significance for many communities. Amos Taylor, a Kija and Jaru law student, discusses how Indigenous lore and laws can shape governance and the future of air and space law, in conversation with Glenn Johnston OAM, a proud Burramatta man.

Dark Terrain

5–5.40pm | Sunday 8 November

What can darkness reveal? Iraqi-born artist Jananne AI-Ani discusses aerial archaeology, using shadow as a tool to reveal landscapes hidden stories.

Speakers

Tavares Strachan (BHS/USA) is a contemporary artist working at the intersection of art, science, history and imagination to explore how knowledge is created, transformed and shared. His projects have engaged aeronautics, astronomy, deep-sea exploration and extreme climatology. In 2009, Strachan undertook cosmonaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Russian State Science Research Cosmonaut Training Center and established the Bahamas Air and Space Exploration Center (BASEC). His projects include ENOCH, launched into space in 2018 in collaboration with the LACMA Art+ Technology Lab.

Amos Taylor is a final-year Law student at UNSW whose work focuses on protecting Indigenous rights and interests within the rapidly evolving legal landscapes of aviation, aerospace and space governance. Drawing on Aboriginal knowledge systems and concepts of sky Country, he explores how Indigenous perspectives can inform emerging laws and policies, ensuring First Nations knowledge, culture and sovereignty are recognised in humanity's expanding relationship with air and space.

Glenn Johnston OAM is a proud Burramatta (Parramatta) man of the Darug Nation, an experienced non-executive Chair, procurement executive and Aboriginal leader with more than 40 years of leadership across government and the private sector. He is Chair of the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation, Yilabara Employment & Training, Cooee Group and Playgroup NSW, and formerly served as Deputy Chair of Supply Nation and Director of AIATSIS. As Managing Director of Darug Consulting and Adjunct A/Professor at AGSM - UNSW Business School, Johnston helps organisations strengthen governance, Indigenous procurement, cultural capability and leadership through an Aboriginal lens.

Jananne AI-Ani is a London-based Iraqi-born artist working with photography, film and video. She is Reader in Photography and Moving Image at the University of the Arts London. Exhibiting widely both nationally and internationally, she has had solo exhibitions at Ab-Anbar Gallery, London; Towner Eastbourne; Beirut Art Center; National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC; Imperial War Museum, London; Darat al Funun, Amman; and Art Now: Tate Britain, London. She has participated in the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial; 11th Sharjah Biennial; 13th Istanbul Biennial; 18th Biennale of Sydney; and the 54th Venice Biennale. Her work can be found in collections including the V&A, London; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw; Centre Pompidou, Paris and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. She is a trustee of SPACE studios in London and a member of the General Assembly of Mophradat, an organisation creating opportunities for artists from the Arab world.