At this public event artist Etienne de France mixes a traditional academic lecture format with a ‘real’ panel discussion. Biologist Everett Morris joined with Etienne de France, local artists and academics to muse on the analogous relationships between water bacteria and the mechanisms of neo-liberal capitalism.

Footage from this session has been edited into de France’s ongoing project The Green Vessel, a project he has developed across three residencies: one at Te Whare Hēra, Aotearoa/New Zealand (2016), another at the International Center of Art and Landscape of Vassivière Island (2015), and his residency at Flora Ars+Natura, in Colombia (2015). In this project the artist sets out to consider the imaginary potential of nature and landscape - to tell highly fictional but credible narratives. His work includes video, installation and drawing.

Panel Chair

• Dr Martin Patrick - Senior Lecturer, Whiti o Rehua School of Art, Massey University

Panellists

• Everett Morris - Biologist: Water contamination and bacterial life forms
• Bronwyn Holloway-Smith - Artist, Research Officer, College of Creative Arts, Massey University
• Mike Ting - Artist, Theorist, and PhD candidate at the European Graduate School

The discussion was followed by an audience Q+A .