Government reporting and modelling (including the first-ever “Adaptation Plan” and “National Risk Assessment” released in 2025) predicts catastrophic climate outcomes in Australia’s short and long-term trajectory. Yet, policy around climate and environment is superficial, misdirected, and quite frankly, absurd. The Australia Institute has attributed official communications with “…exaggerating progress and promoting false solutions (Feb 2026).”
‘In Case of Emergency DO NOT break Glass’ considers how one such ‘solution’ for marine and terrestrial ecosystem collapse may be applied in practice; “…translocating sensitive species and populations into more suitable locations outside their historic range” (“National Adaptation Plan,” page 38).
The developing body of work (the work-in-progress outcomes of a 4-week PICA Quick Response Residency) storyboards a relocated fish who grapples to make sense of his ongoing nightmares, who is helpfully prescribed breathing exercises to address his distress [a ‘solution’ which will not address his loss of habitat and way of life].
Jess van Heerden is an artist who is unsure whether they can yet claim the title, but is interested in thinking about what it means to be in this world, using ad-hoc combinations of papier mache, chewing gum, acrylic paint, ballpoint pen, and text to do so. They are an avid blogger, and foster hopes that their situationship with paint is on the way to something mutual.
