UP right exhibition celebrates Wollumbin, birds, and ecological resilience

A new installation titled UP right is now on display at Murwillumbah’s M-Arts Precinct, inviting viewers to experience the natural world from a fresh perspective.

The work, led by local artist Amelia Batchelor with the support of fellow local artists Victoria Spring, Heidi Ledwell, and Helen Cochrane, inverts Wollumbin above the viewer while keeping a diverse array of birdlife upright, blending awe-inspiring visuals with an important message about ecological resilience.

With the mountain acting as a centrepiece of the display, Batchelor said the installation aims to highlight Wollumbin’s enduring role in the environment and local culture.

“It showcases the mountain’s role as an Indigenous spiritual anchor of the Tweed Valley – catching morning sun, clouds, and the flashes of our feathered friends,” she said.

Viewers of the exhibition are placed in a subtle state of irony, for while they look upward toward the suspended birds and inverted mountain landscape, they paradoxically experience a sense of grounding.

Batchelor said she hopes that this style of exhibition, which requires the viewer to physically look upward, will inspire joy and reflection.

“I think it’s time we all stopped looking down at our phone and took a different perspective, just for a moment,” she said.

The exhibition features over 25 bird species, ranging from familiar local birds to entirely new artistic creations.

“Most are from the iconic bird lovers list – yellow-tailed black cockatoos, a wedge-tailed eagle, a masked owl, and a Regent Honeyeater, to name a few,” she said.

 

“There are also some very unique ones that are entirely new to the region.”

Born out of pure artistic invention, these imagined birds include a Blue Steel Gull, a Phoenix named Phillip and The Fruity Bats.

The concept for the installation stems from Batchelor’s ongoing work with Bird Nerds, a collective platform which allows artists to collaborate and exhibit bird-themed art.

For Batchelor, the new exhibition is about representing the cultural and ecological significance of Wollumbin and its surrounding landscapes.

“Our iconic Mount Wollumbin and its surrounding forests, rivers and coastal waters hold significant Indigenous stories and have meanings to all of us,” she said.

While the installation features an inverted mountain, the birdlife remains upright, inviting the perspective that even in the most chaotic times, one can remain grounded.

Batchelor said that this display acts as a metaphor for our own interactions with the upheavals of modern life.

“I think our recent weather events, floods and climate change, the upheaval in the Middle East, and just life in general can sometimes overwhelm us and make us feel ‘upside down’,” she said.

“I wanted to create something that gave us some hope back, even if just for a moment in our day.”

 

This visual metaphor is also intended to highlight the importance of ecological resilience.

“Resilience means being prepared and taking the time to understand the changes in our ecosystems, farmlands, skies, waterways and oceans,” Batchelor said.

“All these things are an integral part of our survival and should not be just left up to nature to manage.”

The installation’s use of recycled materials underscores its message of sustainability.

“The mountain, clouds and river are made from mostly recycled cardboard and papier-mâché materials,” Batchelor said.

“The birds are made from a varied mix of materials to reflect the diverse species of birds – clay, plaster, wire armature and metals.”

Bringing together a range of artistic styles and perspectives, UP right ultimately represents a celebration of both collaboration and individuality.

“Artists can have a multitude of skills in the creative businesses,” Batchelor said.

“The individual uniqueness of each artwork is the overall inspiration for this entire piece.”

The UP right installation will remain on display at Murwillumbah’s M-Arts Precinct until June.