I was excited to participate in Communicating for a Better World, a conference exclusively dedicated to strengthening the United Nations and advancing solution to global issues through effective communication. I contributed virtually to the panel, “The Politics of the Sustainable Development Goals in Communicating for a Better World,” where I also served as discussant.
It was also great to have initial feedback for the SD-Moji project.
I look forward to sharing the SD-Moji packs soon.
Last October 20th, I gave a lecture on petrichor at Henley’s Bar and Kitchen for Talks on Tuesdays, a live event series bringing big ideas, real experts, and curious minds together at your favourite local venues. My talk was about ‘The Smell Salon: Why the Smell of Rain Makes us Feel Alive.’ I am happy for the opportunity to talk about academic work for a public audience, and very grateful for a sold-out event. Hope to see you all again soon. Thank you, Jarred Keane of Talks on Tuesdays!
[Manila, Philippines] Thank you, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, for the invitation to speak in ‘Transient Landscapes: Art and Climate Narratives,” in conversation with Dr. Diego Maranan and moderated by curator Con Cabrera. The symposium was held as part of the public programming of MCAD’s exhibition of Olafur Eliasson, “Your Curious Journey.”
My talk was entitled, ‘The Planet in a Molecule: Art, Science and Ways of Knowing.”
Thank you to everyone who attended!
More than a decade after being an artist-in-residence at Tembusu College National University of Singapore, I found myself back there virtually, this time giving a talk on my artscience practice.
The residency, supported by Tembusu, Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, and ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, was where I first started my climate art projects that ended up growing into other things, years and countries later. It was also great to see an old colleague, who now runs the show. I lived in the apartment on the same floor as the Headmaster. I remember my interns who were Tembusu students, too.
It was really lovely to be back in a place that was part of an earlier chapter of my practice, and to see how those ideas have continued to evolve.
Thank you, Tembusu, for having me back!
Rounding out my first visit to Almaty with a very special afternoon at the Oral Tansykbayev College of Decorative and Applied Arts, the oldest institution of art education in Kazakhstan. I’m deeply grateful to the wonderful faculty and students for such a warm welcome and for the thoughtful, lively engagement during my talk. I was also touched to receive a beautiful dombra (a two-stringed instrument that is the country’s national instrument) from my dear friend Indira Kalinekovna, a generous and meaningful gift that carries a little piece of Kazakhstan home with me. It made it safely to Sydney, and I can’t wait to learn how to play it!
It was an honour to be hosted by the distinguished Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts last Monday for an artist talk. What a pleasure to meet and engage with the Academy’s wonderful community, and to have the opportunity to share my practice with such an engaged audience. I was especially impressed by the incredible talent and dedication of the students and artists I encountered during my visit. Thank you for the generous welcome and for making my visit so memorable. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and learn from the vibrant arts community in Almaty.
Many thanks especially to the faculty and leadership who organised the talk. Front row from left to right – • Docent: Suleimenov Mukhamedzhan Shadykhanovich• Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Fine Arts: Turgynbay Bolat• Dean of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Design: Baidilda Bauyrzhan Nurbekovich• Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Arman Adilkhanuly Zhudebayev• Docent: Tainov Serik• Professor of the Department of Fine Arts: Duzelkhanov Agymsaly Duzelkhanov• Master of Art History, Senior Lecturer : Kehzhebaeyeva Leila Abduganievna.And big hugs to dearest Uzbekova Indira Kalinekovna for making these relationships happen, and to my intrepid translator Dariya Nurzhankyzy. I hope to see you all again soon!
September 6th, Sunday, was a beautiful day of sharing, listening, and imagining at the esteemed Tselinny Center for Contemporary Culture in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where I facilitated a creative writing workshop entitled “Petrichor: Writing with the Scent of Rain” as part of ARTBAT FEST SØZ, the 2026 educational and public program of the long-running ARTBAT FEST contemporary art festival, organised in collaboration with Tselinny.
Thank you to the wonderful Tselinny team for hosting me, and especially to all the participants who generously shared their ideas and creative responses. It was particularly meaningful for me to experience these works across English, Kazakh, and Russian — a reminder of how art can create spaces for exchange across languages and cultures.
I am excited to carry these contributions forward, incorporating the outcomes of the workshop into future exhibitions and articles as part of my ongoing research and artistic practice.
Thank you, рақмет, and Спасибо for your generosity, curiosity, and imagination. Hope to see you all again soon! 💚
📸: Tselinny
WUF Academy Online Classroom is now live and open to public access, extending the learning beyond WUF13 Baku. Find my lecture slides in Dialogue 4, free to download.
Sign up and log in at https://learn.unhabitat.org
It’s cool to see The Sewer Soaperie and The Ephemeral Marvels Perfume Store cited in this journal article in Duke University Press’ Environmental Humanities, by Dr. Katherine Burlingame which talks about a new Romanticism for a damaged planet. Thank you!
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The Sewer Soaperie is a project that turns fatbergs into soap.
The Ephemeral Marvels Perfume Store is a perfume line of things we can lose because of climate change.
Citations
Young, Catherine Sarah. The Sewer Soaperie. 2016.
Young, Catherine Sarah. The Ephemeral Marvels Perfume Store. 2014.
Katherine Burlingame; Bewilderment: A New Romanticism for a Damaged Planet. Environmental Humanities 1 July 2026; 18 (2): 430–450. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-12384010
Kia ora!
I’m excited to be co-convening a panel with the awesome Dr. Jo Burzynska at the 2026 AAANZ Conference in Aotearoa New Zealand later this year.
📅 Call for Papers deadline: 24 July 2026
Conference dates: Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 December 2026
📍 Ōtautahi Christchurch
Hosted by the University of Canterbury Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha and Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.
The 2026 conference theme, Haereka (pronounced high-reh-kah), means journey. It honours the journeys of those who came before us, including generations of Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, and Ngāi Tahu people who traversed and first settled the mountain ranges, plains, and coastlines of Te Waipounamu (South Island).
Panel: Sensory Journeys: Traversing Culture, Environment and Perception through Sensory Art
We warmly invite proposals from researchers, artists, curators, designers, and practitioners exploring the role of the senses in shaping artistic practice, environmental engagement, cultural knowledge, and perception.
The Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) is the national professional body for Australian and New Zealand art historians, bringing together academics, postgraduate students, artists, designers, and gallery and museum professionals.
Find the full Call for Papers here: https://aaanz.info/aaanz-home/conferences/2026-conference-haereka/call-for-papers-2026-conference/
We look forward to reading your proposals. Please share this opportunity with colleagues who may be interested!
