GRAVES is an installation conceived in response to an artist-in-residence program at The CORRIDOR Project in Cowra (in NSW, Australia) in 2020. The residency explored the impact of the Anthropocene on the environment, which has become an increasingly urgent concern.

During her time at CORRIDOR, Jess was haunted by the recognition that humans have systematically plundered and imperilled the land, often with little consideration for the long-term consequences of our actions. While humans frequently express sorrow, regret and remorse for the damage we have caused, these expressions rarely translate into substantial or lasting change.

With this in mind, GRAVES involved Jess writing messages of apology to the Earth on postcards and burying them in the land at CORRIDOR. The apologies, however, were deliberately trite, superficial and disingenuous, reflecting a familiar human tendency to believe that wrongdoing can be resolved through the simple act of saying ‘sorry’.

By burying these hollow apologies, GRAVES asks what an apology is worth when it is not accompanied by meaningful action. Can the Earth forgive us if our remorse is disingenuous?