Hope floats

2025 WIP

“You write for a time that has not yet arrived. You write to children who have not yet been born.” - Virginie Despantes on Paul B Preciado.

‘Hope floats’ is a new two-channel video work that examines the profound potential of hope. For the past 18 months, now formalised through PhD research, I have been conceptually and research-focused on ‘hope’ as a generative methodology for imagining collective futures. My central question of hope lies squarely with the urgent need to assess the relationship between personal and communal wellness in a world of political and ecological anxiety.

Positioning children’s imagination and community collaboration as frameworks for resilience, this exhibition offers a counterpoint to narratives of extraction, climate terror, grief, genocide, and global precarity. It reflects on the structures—both metaphorical and material—required to sustain uncertain futures and mitigate harm.

'Hope Floats', features interviews with primary school children highlighting their considerations on hope. In preparation, I have been working collaboratively with Footscray City Primary School, to build a relationship with the students in prep to grade four to work on these video portraits. To reciprocate the generosity of the school, I designed and delivered a 4-week lesson plan which has been taught across all art classes, in each grade.