A new exhibition in Sydney explores and draws attention to issues of sustainability and, in particular, our individual carbon footprints.

Co-curated by Trent Jansen and organised by Oxfam Australia’s Youth Engagement Program, Footprints: reduce your carbon footprint to a tiptoe, will bring together the country’s most innovative young designers and artists to celebrate and further explore ecologically sustainable design and lifestyles.

With everything from jewellery, fashion and furniture to film and interactive artworks, the exhibition will feature up-and-coming designers such as Elliat Rich, Adam Goodrum, Stefan Lie and Cameron Patterson as well as a number of young artists.

The opening of Footprints will be accompanied by a ‘live art activity’ on the Museum of Contemporary Art front lawn – the Footprints Zaishu Project – where those involved in the exhibition will each design their own ‘slot-together’ Zaishu seat.

Trent Jansen has created a wonderful visual metaphor for the abstract concept of ‘carbon footprints’ – small tulips, folded from old newspapers, will cover the floor of the space (no more than 40cm apart).

By the end of the day, despite how much people manage to ‘tiptoe through the tulips’ Jansen expects the delicate paper flowers will be decimated – an obvious representation of our individual and collective impact upon the environment.

Footprints will commence with a one-day public viewing at the MCA’s Harbour Terrace on 22 March, followed by a weeklong exhibition at Blank Space in Surry Hills from 26 March – 1 April 2009.

Trent Jansen
trentjansen.com

Oxfam Australia Youth Engagement Program
oxfam.org.au/youth

Zaishu
zaishu.com

Museum of Contemporary Art
22 March 2009 12 – 4pm
140 George St, The Rocks, Sydney

Blank Space
26 March – 1 April 2009
374 Crown Street Surry Hills