As an official exhibition of the international photography festival, PHOTO 2024: the future is shaped by those who con see it, Janet Laurence's immersive, multisensory installation Tears of dust at the Museum of Australian Photography reflects upon the fragility and power of the natural environment.

Her intensely seductive and yet haunting evocations of the natural environment create encounters with our changing planet. In this world premiere exhibition, these Wunderkammers (cabinets of curiosity) provide windows into our fragile ecosystem- of breathing forests, extreme weather events and dying glaciers— and offer a sense of connection with, and mourning of, our vanishing life world.

When encountering these familiar and yet otherworldly environments, we become profoundly aware of the interconnection of all life forms and the alchemical wonder of plants' ability to regenerate. This publication speaks to Laurence's practice and incorporates writings and quotes by those who have informed and inspired her artwork, alongside documentation of the artist and her process.