Atelier Edens Wilderness Lab

From the 9th-22nd of December artists Louise Terry, Matthew Gingold, James Hullick, Geoff Lillemon, Bindi Green, Anita Fontaine, Thea Baumann and Willoh S.Weiland will be in residence in the incredible environment of the park and with it's eery seaside cliff faces, ghosts stories and large cannons this will be a very simulating and possibly spooky environment to work in. Emerging artist Rachel Ferry will also be join the team on a wilderness secondment as our resident our documenter and videographer as part of the Aphids Residencies and Mentoring Program.

The artists will be joined by Creative Environment Enterprises who will work with them to implement carbon neutral offsetting measures so to try to conduct the whole laboratory will as little impact as possible.

In embarking on the Wilderness Lab component of Atelier Edens project there are a few questions to be answered by the artists Champagne Valentine, who will be coming from Amsterdam for the project.
How can differing community groups engage and explore the park?
How can the creation of an app engage and connect inter-generational and multi-cultural community groups in a mixed reality experience?
How do you integrate mobility, motion and migration into the functionality of the app to achieve positive mental, physical and social health outcomes?

These are some of the challenges facing the Atelier Edens artists Champagne Valentine as they undertake R+D at the Point Nepean site to map and design the Atelier Edens app with the support of VicHealth and Parks Victoria.

VicHealth has developed the MOTION: Arts, Physicality and Social Connection Program to get individuals and communities to increase their physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. Through MOTION, VicHealth has identified range of non-traditional arts activities that provide opportunities for active participation. Atelier Edens is an innovative and creative project that challenges us all to experience a healthy and active lifestyle in different ways.

The development at Point Nepean National Park will be time to generate narrative, content and assets through a hands-on exploration of the park site with the aim of creating an artwork that encourages new communities to embrace the wilderness beyond through new technologies.

To develop the APP the artists will walk trails, climb trees with bird watchers and use helmet-mounted cameras to explore the labyrinth of military bunkers with the assistance of local ghost tour operators and park rangers.

The collaboration and partnership with Parks Victoria, VicHealth MOTION program and Creative Environment Enterprises is about ' Getting Physical’ – by using alternative ways to be active and engaged.