Kaechele, born in America, was shocked upon discovering the amount of pollution in the river within her new home of Tasmania. Why were there areas she couldn’t swim in? Later, she then became aware that parts of the Derwent River, especially around MONA, are recognised to be some of the most heavily contaminated riverbeds in the world. She then began talking to her networks and people within her creative community.
‘The response from everyone I spoke with convinced me that I could bring scientists, artists and architects together and that with David’s [Founder of MONA] generosity, we could start the project. We understand that it is extremely unlikely we will clean the Derwent in our lifetime, but if the project raises awareness and inspires more people to think about solutions, we will see that as a successful outcome. I am a big believer in the power of the think tank. You never know what you might discover when you bring a group of great minds from different disciplines together,’ Kirsha said.
