Forest Observation Room
Event Information
About this event
The Forest Observation Room offers visiting researchers to The Forest Institute a unique opportunity for an extended engagement with Gillman Barracks’ secondary forests after nightfall, albeit from the safety of the institute’s elevated premises. Operating from dusk to dawn on weekends and equipped with the necessary creature comforts for overnight observation, visiting researchers will have the special privilege of studying the forest inhabitant’s nocturnal activities through footage captured from within the forest. Screens within the observation room connect audiences with the surrounding woodlands.
What to expect
Residents can expect a unique self-guided overnight experience where you can observe various flora and fauna in action. There is an exclusive video of footages of animals from the Forest and a collection of nature books and encyclopaedias from the artist’s personal collections. Overnight amenities will include camping beds, sleeping bags and inflatable pillows; the sleeping bags and pillows are also yours to keep for future camping trips! Breakfast, dinner and snacks will also be supplied.
About
The Forest Institute is a large-scale architectural art installation housing a research installation, and comprising the Forest Observation Room and the River Boardwalk, devoted to research on the forest surrounding the Gillman Barracks precinct. Conceptualised by Robert Zhao & Randy Chan, and curated by John Tung, the Institute—that intervenes into existing pedestrian infrastructure—is accompanied by several large-scale prints of fauna installed in its vicinity, exposing visitors to the different realities of the area.
The project draws inspiration from, and pays close attention to an ancient tributary of Berlayer Creek, that courses through the forested areas of the barracks within an earshot distance from the institute. Prompting an acute awareness of the interconnectedness and interdependence of the perceived ‘ecological pockets’ that we encounter within our built environments, The Forest Institute offers a glimpse at the beauty and peculiarities that nature has to offer, while pre-empting us on what we stand to lose.