Tracing Precarity

2023

Single-channel animation, collaboration with Emily Ragus

‘Tracing Precarity’ is an abstract animation that uses sensory data to vividly depict the lived experience of floods and their impact on humans. The animation explores how climate change affects both the physical and social aspects of our world by showcasing the chaos and emotional turmoil brought on by increasingly frequent and severe flooding disasters. This research-based creative project draws from ethnographic case studies in the Northern Rivers of Australia and the informal settlement of Quarry Road West in Durban, South Africa. It highlights three key themes—precarity, hope, and the journey towards healing—and uses colours, sounds, and shapes inspired by community-based maps and interviews to convey these themes.

The animation aims to connect the audience with the harsh realities marginalized communities face during floods, emphasizing the instability of changing landscapes. Through personal narratives of flood-affected communities, the animation offers a unique blend of art and anthropology, shedding light on the profound impact of climate-driven disasters. It immerses viewers in the confusion and chaos of flooding events, emphasizing the disorientation, insecurity, and loss that floods impose. Dark visuals represent the ongoing crisis and enduring social consequences. This artwork calls for change by making the trauma of these communities visceral while inspiring a deeper understanding of its impact on the physical, social, and environmental body.