Mineral Transformation and Resource Extraction: Pasts, Presents and

Keywords

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Author Biography

Sally Babidge

I am a sociocultural anthropologist in the School of Social Science at the University of Queensland and current (2021-present) Director of the Master of Development Practice program. My research is focussed on the social and cultural dimensions of ecological and economic change, especially that driven by the extractives industry and experienced by Indigenous Peoples. Current research is engaged in the epistemological, political and practical problems of 'seeing' harms from large scale mining projects, especially lithium in the 'critical minerals' extraction boom (see a recent FILM made with research collaborators), and in relation to groundwater and associated community futures. Ethnographic methodologies and theory that rely on sustained, engaged, and ethical relationships characterise my practice in Australia and Chile and resulting publications.

I design courses for and teach in the undergraduate major in anthropology, as well as for multidisciplinary areas of teaching in theory and methodology for Humanities and Social Science Faculty Honours students and in program design for the Development Practice students. HDR students from anthropology and other social science backgrounds undertake research under my supervision on questions associated with ecological futures, especially water, but also territorial relations, and in areas of political anthropology, and decolonial and feminist theory and method.

Grayson Cooke

Born in New Zealand and based in Australia, Grayson Cooke is an interdisciplinary scholar and media artist.

Grayson is an award-winning media artist whose work shows regularly in galleries and festivals around the world. Sitting at the intersection of art and science, much of his work uses satellite imaging and satellite data, as well as infrared imaging.

“Open Air”, a film made in collaboration with painter Emma Walker and the music of The Necks, won the 2020 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize. His collaboration with sound artist Mike Cooper, “Outback and Beyond”, was the winner of a “New Face” award in the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2012. This work and others have been exhibited or performed at major festivals such as the WRO Media Art Biennale and the Imagine Science Film Festival in New York, and at key venues such as MONA in Hobart, the National Art Centre in Tokyo, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

As a scholar, he has published many articles in highly regarded media/technology journals including Leonardo, Convergence, Body and Society and Culture Machine. He writes on many topics including art/science, new media, live audio-visual performance and the archive. He holds a BA(HONS) from Victoria University of Wellington and an interdisciplinary PhD from Concordia University in Montreal.