Now back in Oz with postcards ‘sans’ plants. I wasn’t allowed to bring them back into the country – they did deliberate a little, as the plants are ‘dried’ – as in dead! But the crux was that I didn’t have a permit – even though I had been trying to get one, or get a clarification of the situation. I could have left the cards with customs and sought to have each plant identified by a botanist, and then the decision would be regarding whether the plant is dangerous or not. This would be expensive – and if I had all the time in the world, might have been a good process to undertake. But a little like the Icelandic postal service, I wouldn’t have them available for the Crevice Communities exhibition. So – we stood there, Pier and I, cutting the plants off the cards so I could take just the cards with me.
And to solve the problem – well, I’m currently thinking that the photos of the cards with the plants will be exhibited alongside the actual card with a shadow where the plant used to be… I haven’t tried to do that yet – that’s the work to be started this coming weekend.
What a saga!
