Aquatic Veridical: examining the apposition of time in undersea landscapes

Aquatic Veridical examines the underwater landscape, the technology that exposes it and our human impact on this hidden environment. Through various mediums, artist Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger surveys her 2021 journey onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor as it mapped the ocean floor from Brisbane and into the Coral Sea Marine Park.

Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger showcases her artistic skills in various media to explore the RV Falkor’s use of multibeam sonar and bathymetry; technology at its cutting edge. The onboard computers translate the computer code collected from the sonar into a recognisable image exposing a visual narrative of the landscape from 300 to 4000 meters below sea level. The central images of this exhibition use this code to reformat this invisible world.

Through a varied visual narrative that includes drawing by hand and mechanical, painting, print media, video, sound and photography, Lea’s time as the ‘artist at sea’ interprets the unseen and unknown underwater landscapes. This exhibition is a testament to the artists’ role in making science and technology more accessible to everyone.

Exhibition Video