Nature Obituary

In the face of environmental and climate destruction, Nature Obituary dares us to stop, reflect, and mourn before it’s too late.

This provocative and deeply reflective live performance will take centre stage at this year’s National Sustainability Festival. This bold and moving site-specific live art created by artist Janenne Willis, invites the public to engage with ecological grief and care through writing and listening to obituaries for parts of the natural world we have lost to the climate and biodiversity crisis. 

Set alongside a serene lakeside in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Nature Obituary transforms the space into a haven for reflection and connection. The site will feature antique writers’ desks, eco pens, and paper. These written reflections may then be contributed to an evolving library of obituaries to be shared in ritualistic live readings by spoken word artists Tariro Mavondo, Felicity Mashuro, and Janenne Willis.