Orchestra of Extinction

Orchestra of Extinction is a long term project in which Keegel and her collaborator sound artist Amanda King explore the habitat of threatened species. During immersive field trips they gather audio visual material that encapsulates each habitat as well as environmental traces such as plant saps, beeswax, soil and leaves. What they discover is then collated and housed in modified old radiogram cabinets, encrusted with habitat residues, emitting signals of sound and light to elusively represent each disappearing species. Each cabinet becomes an archive; forming a record of what King and Keegel have learnt through research, time walking, observing and documenting as well as connecting and speaking with scientists and local experts.

This contemporary interpretation of a Cabinet of Curiosities or Wunderkammer, highlights the vulnerability of threatened species and juxtaposes ‘recorded habitats’ within the historic Colonial house setting, of one of the oldest homes in Castlemaine Tutes Cottage.

Species cabinets included in the project: Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata Wotjobaluk Country, The Little Desert and Wimmera region, Victoria Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Central Victoria Powerful Owl Ninnox stupenda Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Central Victoria Duan or Brush Tailed Phascogale, Phascogale tapoatafa Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Central Victoria Kaparunina or Thylacine Thylacinus cynocephalus Lutruwita, Takanya (Tarkine region), Tasmania Purinina or Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii Lutruwita, Takanya (Tarkine region), Tasmania Alberts Lyrebird Menura alberti Widjabul Wia-bal Country Bundjalung Nation, Terania Basin and Night Cap Ranges of Northern NSW Koala Phascolarctos cinereus South East Queensland Bioregion Kabi Kabi Country (Maroochy Bushland Botanical Gardens) CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Functionally extinct Koala Alpine Dingo.