the alchemical table

‘The elaboratory’s elixir’ was exhibited as part of the Castlemaine State Festival program 2013.

It was developed over a year at the site and drew on the sites historic uses, its current material degradation and actual material from the site via the sites garden and associated ‘material medica’ freely available during various seasons.

The Alchemical table dinners (2) proceeded the ‘elaboratory’ installation and contributed to the material gathered and used for the installation. The dinners utilised the gardens produce and translated the actions of mixing, maceration, burning within the meals composed processes and discourse on Alchemical inspiration. Sounds and photography were recorded at these events and the remnants of the meal. Jacques Soddell transformed the recorded sounds of the dinner into mixing jars, which later the audience could open and expose to their liking, cooking up their own sound mix. Kent Wilson utilised the remnants in a charring process and incorporated this into the chimney and surrounds. Tara Gilbee took mirror portraits, carbon printed them on glass and added them to the cottage like surreal figurative apparitions on a wall.