Abstract My exploration of utopian ideals and speculative futures, in my work ‘Study in Grey’ examines the intersections of language, landscape, and environmental decline. Created during a residency at the Caribbean Marine Biological Institute (Carmabi) in Curaçao, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. ‘Study in Grey’ is a film-poem that explores the duality and multiplicity of language in relation to place, and how these elements shape our understanding of the natural world.

The incorporated images were shot at sites of preservation and conservation on a customised full spectrum camera that had been modified for spectrographic work on corals. It is a juxtaposition of landscape and language, and seeks to explore constructs of strata and stratum. The audio narration recites the poem ‘Kuadro na Shinishi’ which translates in English to ‘Study in Grey’, originally written in Papiamento by Pierre A. Lauffer.

The production of ‘Study in Grey’, involved the recording of multi-channel audio narration, and the integration of digital still imagery. I collaborated with students and academics from the University College Dublin community, to record audio narration in Dutch, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Papiamento. The narrative of the poem is a reflection on climate catastrophe.

The work offers a speculative view of a future where the loss of language, culture, and environmental integrity are deeply intertwined.