Staying with the Microbial Trouble
Submitted by Paulina Sierra on Wednesday, 07/12/2023 12:45pm

July 9, 2023 (?)
It's hard to believe that we're almost halfway through.
It seems as though we have only recently arrived.
Despite our disparate origins and experiences, there is an intangible thread connecting us (of this cohort) like a switchboard of long distance tin-can phones.
A lingering conversation from the past, waiting to be had -- longing to be heard.
I cannot help but reflect
upon the truth of the moment.
The stories unearthed into our bodies
though our feet and our hands,
A little over a week has passed since my arrival at the Leonardo@Djerassi Residency. As I began unpacking my eucalyptus forest-like installation, a question that has long intrigued me, even before departing from Australia, continues to resonate in my mind: why and how has the Australian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus Globulus) become so prevalent in California's landscape? Despite its non-native status, this tree species has deeply ingrained itself within the fabric of both California's culture and its physical environment, while also being associated with the ferocity of the state's bushfires.
On a winter's morning in Lovett Bay, NSW, I find myself preparing my suitcase for the life-changing journey to Leonardo@Djerassi's unforgettable residency. A rush of thoughts, emotions, and memories floods my mind, and the weight of anticipation hangs in the air. Questions about what to pack, what essentials I might need, and what I would truly miss occupy my thoughts, leaving me yearning for a magician's hat.
I'm sitting in the Bowes Art Library at Stanford University, between my two scheduled office hours for my course Science, Technology, Art on scientific approaches to the study of fine art paintings and drawings. My students are a bit anxious as they have another homework, their final project papers, and the final coming up in quick succession. Nevertheless, they seem to be learning a great deal.