Shaped by climate crisis, biodiversity collapse and ongoing ecological transformation Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler: Primary Succession reflects on how life reorganises itself after ecological rupture.
Grounded in long-term research into Melbourne and Greater Dandenong landscapes, the work examines a world shaped by colonial extraction, urban expansion and climate crisis. Through speculative ecologies, the artists imagine a future where eco-intelligence and ecological memory replace human-centred systems of control.
The artists explore environmental loss through the lens of one of the region’s most vital yet often misunderstood species: the grey-headed flying fox. Essential pollinators and seed dispersers, these nocturnal animals function as a keystone species whose survival is closely tied to the health and regeneration of entire ecosystems.
Sculptural forms, immersive scenography and atmospheric environments invite audiences into a world where biological and technological systems learn, remember and adapt together. Rather than offering utopian or apocalyptic visions, Primary Succession proposes regeneration as a continuous process of becoming, where resilience, memory and possibility coexist beyond human dominance across time, uncertainty and fragile planetary conditions shaped by collective ecological imagination today.
Image: Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler, Primary Succession (detail), 2026. Courtesy of the artists.
Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre and Dandenong Arts Precinct
Corner Walker and Robinson Streets
Dandenong VIC 3175
T: 03 8571 5320
E: walkerstgallery@cgd.vic.gov.au
W: greaterdandenong.com/arts
Opening Hours
Wednesday to Saturday: 11am - 3pm
The Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV) acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the lands where our office is located, and all Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and Australia. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enduring traditions and continuing creative cultures. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
We are an LGBTQIA+ friendly organisation that celebrates diversity. We are committed to providing safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive services for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
