Currents of Practice 2025

The inaugural event in 2025 demonstrated the strong public appetite for arts-led environmental engagement, with high attendance, positive community feedback, and national and international visibility through Wetland Link International. The 2026 program builds on this momentum with a clear structure, strengthened planning, and increased alignment with Ramsar's global networks.

Currents of Practice complements both the Western Port Biosphere Foundation and Friend of Coolart's broader programming by contributing a professionally curated exhibition, artist talks, and the annual e-book, enhancing the overall profile of the World Wetlands Day celebration.

Rosa Mar Tato Ortega is a Melbourne-based visual artist and curator whose practice moves between sculpture, installation and site-responsive work across public and private realms. Living and working on Bunurong/Boon Wurrung Country, her work is grounded in ecological attention, material knowledge and a long-standing engagement with community-led creative processes. Rosa Mar was the inaugural Artist in Residence at Coolart Wetlands and Homestead, under the auspices of Parks Victoria, where twelve months of observation, research and public engagement seeded the Currents of Practice Exhibition and Public program. Her practice often integrates ecological histories, community narratives and spatial dialogue, producing works that foreground preservation, environmental awareness and encounters with place.She is the Founder and curator of Currents of Practice, an annual World Wetlands Day exhibition and public program held at Coolart Wetlands and across the Western Port Biosphere. Her broader portfolio includes large-scale commissions, public artworks, collaborative workshops, and cross-disciplinary projects exploring the intersections of art, ecology and cultural knowledge.Website: www.rosatato.comInstagram: @rosa.mar.tato.ortega.art

Hamish Payne is a freelance graphic designer in Melbourne, Australia. He works with clients to shape clear, thoughtful brands and digital experiences. His practice blends collaboration with strategic design in branding, art direction, websites and motion. Hamish aims for work that feels purposeful and enduring.