Darkness in 589 - Opening event

About this event

Join us for the opening of Darkness in 589 the ANAT + MAP mima residency exhibition. The ANAT (Australian Network for Art in Technology) + MAP mima (Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima) Artist Residency pairs an artist with a scientist to explore the intersection of art, technology, and research. Through this program, artists engage with scientific methodologies, while scientists are encouraged to explore the experimental and speculative possibilities of artistic practice. The residency culminates in the creation of new work for MAP mima’s immersive 360-degree projection cube and the development of innovative dialogues between disciplines. Enjoy light refreshments and snacks as you celebrate the 2026 residency and connect with fellow art lovers. About the collaboration This year’s residency brings together Peter Swanton, Georgia Hayward and Prita Tina Yeganeh whose collaborative project Darkness in 589 considers the ecological, cultural and sensory significance of darkness. Their research responds to the growing impact of light pollution, which affects ecosystems, circadian rhythms and our collective relationship to the night sky. During the residency, the team will undertake research and creative development within a dark sky reserve, using experimental imaging and field recordings to explore nocturnal ecologies. The resulting work will expand audience perception into unseen wavelengths and soundscapes, positioning darkness not as absence, but as a vital ecological condition. Warrumbungle National Park, near Coonabarabran in central western NSW, is Australia's first Dark Sky Park and the first in the southern hemisphere. About the team Peter Swanton is a Gamilaraay astrophysicist, Indigenous Research Associate with Australian National University (ANU) and an Executive Director of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. Georgia Hayward is a Mardigan and Anglo-Celtic artist, curator and writer whose practice examines colonial power across social, spatial and digital forms, fostering more place-responsive ways of relating. Prita Tina Yeganeh is a multidisciplinary artist and facilitator whose practice spans community engagement, installation and moving image, drawing on her Iranian heritage and environmental engineering background to explore land politics, migration, identity and health. About ANAT The Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) is a global leader in brokering opportunities for artists to work with science and technology partners. Through residencies, symposia, workshops and other professional activities, supported by robust national and international networks, ANAT plays a unique and critical role in Australia's artistic and cultural ecosystem. The 2026 ANAT + MAP mima Artist Residency + Commission is co-sponsored by ANAT and Lake Macquarie City Council.