Forest Event: 22nd August, 4:30pm-6pm
Art, perception and the experience of nature
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/percept-an-immersive-art-science-experience-tickets-1996919933276?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
PERCEPT was a site-specific art installation by glass artist Magdalena Marciniak, created within the forest surrounding Glass Artistry Studio in Albany Creek.
Bringing together glass, light, colour, space and nature, the project explored how attention shapes the way we experience the world around us.
What happens when we slow down and really look?
How does light change what we see? How does our attention influence what we notice? And can spending time with art in nature encourage us to experience familiar surroundings differently?
Installed throughout the forest, the artworks invited visitors to slow down, be present and notice — looking not only at the artworks themselves, but at the changing light, shadows, trees, spaces between them and their own responses to the environment.
Developed through an ongoing exploration of ideas connecting art and science, PERCEPT considered perception, attention and our relationship with the natural world. The project also included a research contribution from Professor Genevieve Dingle from The University of Queensland, bringing a psychological and scientific perspective to the experience and exploring connections between creativity, attention and wellbeing.
Rather than offering one way of seeing, the project invited each person to pause, observe and discover their own.
Slow down. Look closer. Notice what changes.
The experience continued at Marciniak’s studio, where visitors saw more of her glass practice, learned about the processes behind the work and explored the relationship between material, light and perception.ses behind the work and explore the relationship between material, light and perception.
This free event was part of National Science Week and was proudly supported supported through the Moreton Bay RADF grant — a partnership between the Queensland Government and City of Moreton Bay.
Light-Catching Glass Token Workshop
23rd August, multiple times. During Open Studio hours, 9:30 am-10:30 and 10:30 am–11:30 pm
Book your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/light-catching-glass-token-tickets-1997690204177?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true
Participants created a small glass token inspired by light, nature and PERCEPT. They chose and arranged textured glass to create their own unique pieces that caught and transformed light — a little reminder to slow down, notice and be present.
The pieces were kiln-fired after the event and made available for collection at a later date.
No previous glass experience was needed.
This free workshop was supported by the Moreton Bay RADF grant, a partnership between the Queensland Government and City of Moreton Bay.
Open Studio
Creative Samford Art Trail – Open Studio
4–5, 11–12, 18–19 & 25–26 June
10:00 am–3:00 pm
National Science Week – Open Studio
22nd August 5pm-7pm
23 August10:30 am–12:30 pm
Visitors were invited to Glass Artistry Studio for a free Open Studio event to discover how glass art is created.
They explored different types of glass, materials and techniques, and gained a closer look at the processes behind kiln-formed and stained glass artworks. The Open Studio provided an opportunity to ask questions, see works in progress and discover how art, science, heat, light and glass come together.
This free event was proudly supported through the Moreton Bay RADF grant — a partnership between the Queensland Government and City of Moreton Bay.
Behind PERCEPT
PERCEPT began with sketches and ideas, then slowly took shape through months of making. The process involved creating an enormous quantity of delicate glass lace using frits and torch-pulled lines, followed by cutting, grinding, assembling and firing the glass. Alongside the glasswork came painting and constructing the wooden structures, testing how the works interacted with light, and finally building the installation space within the forest.
And not everything went according to plan. Glass can be unpredictable — sometimes pieces broke, tests failed, and I simply had to start again. These moments became part of the journey too, requiring patience, problem-solving and often leading to new solutions.
It was a long and ambitious journey, and I was fortunate to share parts of the creative process with the community during my Open Studios — from the first sketches and experiments to works in progress and the gradual transformation of an idea into the final PERCEPT experience.
