tds x sssharc

Imaging sustainability

(A new interdisciplinary research team investigating the potential for more sustainable workflows & chemical disposal in analogue photography)

In early 2025 The Darkroom Social joined a new research team as part of the University of Sydney Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences research accelerator program (SSSHARC).

Our research team includes Dr Alexander Yuen (chemist, researcher and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney School of Chemistry), Dr Yvette Hamilton (artist, researcher and Senior Lecturer at Sydney College of the Arts), Isobel Markus-Dunworth & Remi Siciliano (artists, educators & the co-founders of The Darkroom Social).

Our project combines visual arts practices and science to empower individuals to make more sustainable choices within analogue photography processes. The team will investigate sustainability in image making through collaborative research primarily focused on waste disposal protocols for lower-toxicity photographic chemistry(such as ascorbate and botanical developers). This project aims to foster a tangible connection to the often-abstract concept of sustainability through creative and practical engagement.