Something Akin 2021 was projected as part of the “Dhawun Guwaala-y” exhibition, at Nexus Arts, South Australia, curated by Dominique and Samuel Chen and “All the bees are [not] dying” exhibition, curated by Peter Breen at the Kingaroy Regional Arts Gallery, Queensland.

It is a collection of moving imagery from Kangaroo Island, that resists the western-lens of objective looking, rationalising and spectacle-making. Rather than imposing a prescribed narrative upon the landscape, the work invites quiet observation, sensitivity, curiosity and an active engagement with the natural environments and scenes depicted. Something Akin allows and withholds understanding and perspective, making space for the viewer to question and reflect upon personal and cultural connections, truths and positionings as they relate to the more-than-human world.

The work was filmed during the 2019 summer bushfires on Kangaroo Island as part of a project funded by Inspiring SA (South Australian Government), looking at various ways of perceiving and understanding environmental change. While the included scenes may look empty and lifeless—even after significant or damaging fire, country is always moving, connecting and responding. Sometimes in stillness is the remembrance of our obligation to do the same.