WATER[SHED]

AVAILABLE NOW

06-27 AUGUST

The summer of 2021-22 marks 50 years since Lake Pedder was flooded by a Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. This jewel of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, with its iconic wide, pink quartzite beach was swallowed up when 242 square kilometres of Tasmania's wilderness drowned. The art and imagery created at the time continues to capture our imagination.

The original lake is not forgotten. It lies quietly waiting, just 15 metres beneath the dark, dead, brooding body of water still officially gazetted as Lake Pedder.
The campaign to restore Lake Pedder is a powerful symbol of hope in increasingly troubling times.

The scientific results are in. There is absolutely no doubt that the original Lake Pedder and environs can be restored. Dam removal has been increasingly reported globally and is becoming an important approach for river management, restoration and environmental conservation.

This 50-year anniversary also coincides with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.

The UN Decade is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction.

Restoring Pedder is the perfect Australian flagship project for this UN decade.

EXHIBITION

water[shed] is an exhibition conceived by OUTSIDE THE BOX / Earth Arts Rights and presented in collaboration with Bett Gallery to support the Restore Pedder campaign.
50 national and international artists (one for each year since Lake Pedder was lost) have accepted our invitation to make work that explores the notions of watershed, ecosystem restoration, re-wilding, loss, grief, hope and of course to celebrate the original Lake Pedder.

July 14, 2022