Abstract
This thesis examines the orientation of Inner Worlds of the Human-Nature Relationship (HNR) against the convoluted backdrop of the Anthropocene. HNR describe the holistic interface at which intangible and tangible human experiences are linked to the biophysical world. Historically, the relationship was a mechanism by which humans nurtured the well-being of home landscapes, imbuing physical nature with intangible human narratives of emotion, spirituality, and place attachment. However, contemporary HNR are influenced by the global permeation of western socio-industrial paradigms, which favour material narratives of HNR over their intangible counterparts. This thesis explores the implications of skewing this innately holistic relationship towards the tangible, in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. First it provides a comprehensive overview of HNR literature and how language frames and constrains HNR. This is used as an academic foundation qualifying the SciArt (Science Art) installation Ōtepoti Overlays which explores themes of relationships, emotions, and nature in real-world HNR of Ōtepoti Dunedin. The heart of the installation is an immersive walk-through experience juxtaposing native flora against contemporary garden species, and the visitor-led interactive activity “Letters to Nature”. The design and success of the installation is documented in Chapter Six and a selection of the “Letters to Nature” are included as an epilogue. Secondly, the academic component is bolstered by a thematic analysis of walk-along interviews with Working Ecologists and Nature Hobbyists (six in total). The discussion is an insight into how intangible aspects of HNR are viewed on a personal level, and how they are positioned in normative sociocultural narratives of HNR. Results of the analysis illustrate a choreography of dissonance between nature as a realm of personal spirituality and emotion, and sociocultural expectations of pragmatism in HNR.