Intertwining vocal workshops, community rituals, and

farm practices, Tina Stefanou’s work considers the

value of grain and wool to her Wheatbelt host. Stefanou

reimagines activities originating from a romanticised

perception of regional life. In doing so, she draws on the

emotive force of nostalgia for a past commonly seen in

rural communities.

“Back-breeding” refers to the process of breeding

livestock to revive disappearing traits, including those of

extinct species. This attempt to reverse the past contrasts

with current realities influenced by climate crises and

socio-economic shifts. Stefanou creates surreal moments

that celebrate the interwoven, multi-species rhythms of

labour and life in the Mid West region beyond nostalgia

and into the future.