Dark Matter Garden

Dark Matter Garden was created during the residency and exhibition tour organized by the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, and SNOLAB. Alongside other artists, I was invited to create new work while engaging with physicists, chemists, and engineers involved in the search for dark matter at SNOLAB’s facility in Sudbury, located two kilometers beneath the Earth's surface. Dark Matter Garden is an ephermeral evolving project that manifested in two distinct iterations during the Drift: Art and Dark Matter exhibition. The first iteration was situated on the lawn of the Agnes Etherington House, which stands on the territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek peoples. Here, I emphasized the importance of darkness and the softness of soil for plant growth. Instead of planting seeds, I focused on nurturing the rich environment that already supports local life, creating the Dark Matter Garden. This iteration explored alternative ways of making beyond extractive art practices, consisting solely of rich compost that nurtured existing life, untouched by landscaping from the university this land could become wild again. What emerged were dandelions, weeds, and insects. The second iteration was organized with the Belkin Art Gallery. This iteration took place on the unceded territory of the Musqueam and Squamish nations, where χʷəy̓χʷiq̓tən Audrey Siegl, T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss, and I collaborated to create an ephemeral garden for an evening gathering. Participants were invited to watch the sunset together while we discussed our practices of collectivity and care. Dark matter is a phenomenon that remains invisible to us, yet it is essential for holding the universe together, according to Western science. The deep desire to uncover this matter raises important questions about Western ways of knowing that often prioritize interrogation and extraction. Why must dark matter be found, and how might its discovery change our lives? How does its existence challenge our assumptions about its properties? Can we trust and honor its right to remain undiscovered? These questions lie at the heart of the Dark Matter Garden.