Breaking Ground 2025 exhibition reveals the beauty beneath the surface

Susie Althorp’s 2025 Breaking Ground exhibition skopos is an invitation to experience a magical encounter with unseen parts of our underwater world.

“It’s about making visible that world that no one gets to see,” Susie said. “I remember vividly the sense of awe I first experienced as a child looking down the eyepiece of a microscope at a new world. I aim to create that feeling of wonder and discovery for the viewer.”

Susie will present skopos ­- an Ancient Greek word meaning ‘to see’, ‘view’, ‘examine’ or ‘consider’ –  at Praxis Artspace from August 22 to September 13. The exhibition is the culmination of her 12-month journey as the recipient of Country Arts SA’s prestigious Breaking Ground visual arts professional development award.

Working with her mentor – renowned Adelaide-based artist Catherine Truman whose cross-disciplinary practice also bridges both art and science – Susie has developed a body of work inspired by botanical-collecting practices and shaped by her ongoing research and coastal observations.

Based in Wallaroo Mines on the Yorke Peninsula, Narungga Country, Susie draws on her closeness proximity to the coastline to explore and collect a wide range of seaweed specimens. Her practice is further enriched by her volunteer work at the South Australian State Herbarium, deepening her engagement with ecological knowledge and its representation.

Reframing the herbarium as a site of creative inquiry, Susie uses scientific motifs – including microscopes, slides, and lenses – to explore how we observe, classify and emotionally respond to the natural world. The result is a body of work that invites viewers to reconsider how we shape, share, and reimagine our understanding of plant life and marine ecosystems.

Working across ceramics, sculpture, and installation, Susie’s pieces reflect both the resilience and fragility of the environment and the materials she works with. Her experimental use of porcelain evokes the intricate textures of sea flora, while echoing childhood memories of beachcombing and microscopic discovery.

Country Arts SA Visual Arts Manager Lauren Mustillo said Susie’s project was a powerful example of how contemporary artists can bridge disciplines and spark new ways of seeing.

“Susie’s work is an evocative fusion of science and art. She draws on the discipline of scientific research and the emotional resonance of personal memory to create works that are both intellectually and sensorially rich,” Ms Mustillo said. “Her Breaking Ground project captures the fragile beauty of the marine world and invites us to see nature with renewed curiosity and care.”

Country Arts SA Chief Executive Anthony Peluso said he was excited to see the world of wonder Susie’s art had created. 

“The Breaking Ground exhibition is the culmination of a year’s work and a transformative journey for Susie as an artist. To witness the outcome of her creative investigation – shaped by her deep connection to Narungga Country and the Yorke Peninsula coastline – is a joy. We’re proud to share this work with audiences during SALA Festival, and to continue championing the voices and visions of regional artists like Susie through this transformational program.”

Since its inception in 2012, the Breaking Ground award has supported regional South Australian visual artists to advance their professional practice through dedicated mentorship and exhibition opportunities.

skopos  runs August 22-Sept 13
Praxis Artspace
Gibson St, Bowden

Image caption: Susie Althorp, planktos (detail), 2025.