Abstract

This paper / installation explores a project-in-progress titled Waters of the Past. The project
has emerged from residencies in the Faroe Islands, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway in
2016-17. The paper specifically addresses a sub-project which has emerged from the larger
body of work – Journey of the Ancients, which is a collaboration between Tracey Benson and
Josiah Jordan. The project explores the iconography of the sea and natural environment as a juxtaposition to ancient runic symbols. These symbols represent a culture and language lost as well as a ‘proxy’ for ancestral links to the old country.

• Dr Tracey M Benson is an artist, social scientist and researcher based in Canberra. She focuses on issues related to well being, sustainability behaviour change, energy futures and water. She explores a range of media including open data, augmented and virtual reality, often collaborating with cultural owners and scientists. Tracey is also a part-time academic at the Faculty of Art and Design and a Professional Associate of the Institute of Applied Ecology at University of Canberra, Australia. Tracey has a PhD from ANU and is currently undertaking a Masters of Applied Science by Research at the Institute of Applied Ecology
• Josiah Jordan started his career as an aerospace engineer, designing and building a
  space-bound solar imaging camera at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
  in Boulder, Colorado, USA. After 3 years in aerospace he switched paths to software development, creating virtual aircraft configuration software for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Moving to New Zealand in 2009, he most recently was focused on creating cloud-based scalable render farms and a rich web application platform for the Internet of Things space. He now owns and operates Lobaki, a company specializing in teaching VR development to at-risk youth, and creating commercial VR experiences. In his spare time he collaborates on artistic projects, with a focus on DNA music and VR experiences.

Full text p. 143-146