AHNNA’s 2024 Media Intern Elyssa Sykes-Smith Explores Climate Transformation Through Art in Reclaimed Chaos at Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2024
Elyssa Sykes-Smith, an interprofessional, multidisciplinary artist, aims to inspire transformation and adaptation in response to our rapidly changing ecological landscape with her upcoming artwork, Reclaimed Chaos, which will feature at Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, 18 October – 4 November 2024.
At the Arts Health Network (AHNNA), Elyssa has been instrumental in creating our most recent stories and is a driving force behind the soon-to-be-launched Members Profiles project. She continues to contribute significantly to the growth and development of the AHNNA community, including by bringing an environmental lens to our work.
Elyssa’s artistic practice is grounded in exploring how art can act as a psychological tool for processing and engaging with one of the most pressing issues of our time: global climate change. As described by the Climate Psychology Alliance, “Climate psychology is concerned with the emotions, and the social and mental processes that have contributed to the ecological and climate crisis, and our responses and processes of adaptation to it” (climatepsychologyalliance.org).
Elyssa’s piece Reclaimed Chaos imagines a scenario where the world holds still for a moment—like a collective held breath—and asks: What would this pause allow us to think, feel, and do? What reflections from the last few years could shape a more hopeful future, and how can we take actionable steps toward that future? First shown in the UK, it has been redesigned for Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2024, to reflect the unique sculptural qualities of the Australian landscape, using locally sourced reclaimed wood.
Metaphorically, the artwork positions Sydney as a protagonist within the global narrative of the climate crisis, embodying a city caught in a cyclical wave of thoughts, emotions, and complex environmental factors. The piece invites reflection on how global challenges intersect with local experiences.
Elyssa is also the coordinator for Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2024’s Education, Access, and Inclusion programs. These programs reflect the organisation’s belief that “art is for everyone” by ensuring accessibility and engagement for participants of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds.
You can support Reclaimed Chaos here (tax-deductible):
Reclaimed Chaos – Sculpture by the Sea Bondi
You can explore Artist-Led Workshops, Focus Tours, Teachers Preview Tours, and Self-Guided Tours (free): Book Here and Tactile Tours (free) and ESL Tours: Book Here
Image: Reclaimed Chaos concept art by Elyssa Sykes-Smith
Posted by Dr Claire Hooker
Senior Lecturer, Health and Medical Humanities; Director, Bioethics program, Sydney Health Ethics, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
