Diana Baker Smith
2026
Two-channel Super 8 film transferred to digital video

Trace a Piece of Water traces the movement and rhythms of two harbours: Cobh Harbour in Ireland and Sydney Harbour in Australia. Filmed across the water and along the shorelines, the work follows shifting currents and tides, bringing into view the histories of maritime movement, migration and colonisation that connect these sites. 

Historically connected through the British Empire, Cobh and Sydney were key points of departure and arrival for people and materials moving between Ireland and Australia, including the artist’s own ancestors. Filmed on Super 8 while walking along the harbour edges, the work follows a simple filming score in which the camera is directed towards the shifting surface of the water. Installed across multiple screens, Trace a Piece of Water brings these distant waterways into relation through repetition, interruption and the material rhythms of Super 8 film.

Work Credits
Colourist: Justin Tran
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Trace a Piece of Water was commissioned by Mosman Art Gallery. It was developed through the Vaucluse House Creative and Cultural Residency Program with Museums of History NSW, and residencies at SIRIUS Arts Centre, Cobh. Research undertaken in Ireland was supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW and UNSW Art & Design.

Diana Baker Smith, Trace a Piece of Water, 2026, production image and video stills.