DEAN'S AWARD

Once abundant along Australia’s southern coasts, oyster reefs have suffered catastrophic decline, erasing multispecies relationships between humans and marine worlds. Oystory reimagines the native flat oyster (Ostrea angasi) as a lens to explore climate change, biodiversity loss, and collective amnesia. Through practice-led research and computational experimentation, it interlaces archival material, ecological data, and speculative design to generate immersive digital artefacts. Transforming data into material form, Oystory evokes speculative ecologies and nonhuman futures, positioning design as a relational act of care and attunement that fosters empathy and renewed connection between human and marine worlds.