Artist Statement

Flying foxes aren't bats. They don’t echolocate but instead use their incredible eyesight. They're social living in large groups taking care of their young and calling out and grooming themselves like cats. In Melbourne they congregate on the Yarra river and are a sight at night as they take to the skies in large numbers, but they remain unloved somehow, not capturing the public imagination like other animals. They're also climate refugees, moving south as the country heats and unable to sufficiently self-regulate their temperatures so they're prone to dying events, as they fall from their trees when temperatures get too hot. I think they're beautiful and we should notice them more, celebrate them and make sure they stick around.