In Ancient Greek tragedy, the Khoros were the band of dancers and singers that gave expression to the moral sentiment evoked in the actions of the play, as a collective they voiced the emotions of the spectator. In this artwork, the audience were invited to join in with the frogs and add their voice to both the soundscape within the installation and the conversation contemplating what constitutes ‘the commons’ today. The work draws attention to the differences between ‘the tragedy of the commons’ (an economic principle that preferences centralised control and profits due to a belief egalitarian management will fail through selfish behaviour) and the response from Elinor Ostrom, the only woman to date to receive the Nobel Prize for Economics. Her life’s work focused on how humans interact within ecosystems to maintain long-term sustainable resources. Ostrom’s Law states: A resource arrangement that works in practice will work in theory.
Khoros aims to engage a wide community; the frogs, reeds and water are all participants, the audience as they overlook the dry creek bed are invited to awaken perceptions of relationship and responsibility to the phenomena and process as they unfold . Which group is the Khoros here and who are the actors? The view from the bridge is symbolic of the potential we have to ‘cross over’ from a paradigm of competition to one of mutual dependence. The musical notation in the title indicates the rhythm - alla ostrom, con amore - in the style of Ostrom and with tender enthusiasm.
The installation Khoros was the culmination of twelve months investigating the remnant environment and the larger commons that constitute Randwick Environment Park and it’s protected habitat. The work, Tender 2016 was the prototype, but over the next year the effects of drought on the watercourse meant the site was dry. The proposal had to be modified as initially the aim was to experiment with water quality around the reed beds. The focus was transferred to the flora and fauna still present in the dry creek, most noticeably the frogs which had withdrawn upstream. The lights were connected to sound sensors activated when the frogs could be heard in their previous territory.
NOX 2017, Night Sculpture Walks, Randwick Environment Park, Randwick