Boundless Plains interrogates how architecture, often envisioned as an act of inclusion, can, in fact, be a powerful tool of exclusion and isolation. In our age of intensifying and polarising tensions, with communities torn along socio-political and cultural lines, Boundless Plains considers the role our built environment has played in magnifying these tensions. Two projects, the re-opening of the Manus Island Detention Centre and the erection of fences around Parliament House, will be presented as immersive soundscapes through the aural archives of both social and traditional mass media. Through an extensive mix of government reports, news clips and written statements, the two narratives within Boundless Plains will be presented, linked through a constant, background rhythm, with the chorus of speakers from each narrative rising and falling in turn.
Boundless Plains will exhibit these architectural scenarios as a series of narrated voices, unfolding as a conversation within the MPavilion to create an evocative, sonic spatial environment. A singular gesture, reminiscent of the fences erected to protect our nation, will bifurcate the site of the MPavilion, breaking the openness and order established by the pavilion’s grid. Two platforms created from this intervention will become the immersive landscapes of discussion and challenge visitors to consider whether Australia truly reflects our national anthem’s declaration that we have Boundless Plains to Share.
In collaboration with Mr. Jason Goh and Dr. Ainslie Murray