Clio’s Dance

Saphira Lazzaro, Hobart City High School

In Collaboration with Haiting Zhang
Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, AAPP
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, IMAS

Artist’s Statement

I was inspired after my visit to the Australian Antarctic Division with my scientist Haiting. We looked at the krill from the Southern Ocean and learnt about her speciality research in pteropods, in particular one of her favourites the Sea Butterfly (Clio pyramidata). Sea Butterflies are shelled pteropods. Their shells are very delicate, and an acidic PH dissolves the shell which acts as a good indicator of warming seas and climate change.

As someone who loves contemporary dance the movement of the sea butterfly caught my attention. The elegance of the movement inspired me to create a dress.

My interpretation of Haiting’s research led me to explore ideas of how temperature affects the sea butterflies’ shells. My dress is symmetrical in form but different in colour, with the front representing an elegant lively sea butterfly whereas the back of the dress will be the broken and bleached shell of a sea butterfly affected by climate change. This is to represent the damage acidity does and how it affects the Sea Butterfly’s shell and ability to live.

I chose to use the concept of movement to enable the viewer to see the contrast between life and death and highlight the impact of climate change on the Sea Butterfly.

I hope that when the viewer experiences my artwork they are intrigued by the idea of these beautiful creatures and want to find out more about them and how we can protect them from climate change.