An installation at New Acton café Mocan and Green Grout is asking a question many of us find ourselves asking in this clutter-free, post-Kondo world: is this thing I love a worthy precious object, or is it junk? And, by holding onto it, am I some kind of archivist, or just a plain, old hoarder? "Canberra florist/forager Lauren Andersen and collector/designer/maker David Suckling combine their talents and passions to create an exciting eclectic mix in keeping with the café philosophical focus on local seasonal produce and unusual design. The café interior will be redecorated with dynamic combinations of reclaimed industrial objects and locally collected organic materials." The display at Mocan and Green Grout, 1/19 Marcus Clarke Street, New Acton, will be up until September 11.

Storytelling has been a fundamental thread in art throughout history, and a new exhibition by Tracey Creighton reflects both traditional and contemporary stories: "Expressing the urbanisation of tribal communities and the spiritual essence of their people is the main focus in my exhibition," she says. "The fusion of abstracted scenes, proud stylised figures, tribal symbols, shapes and marks, evokes a sense of cultural transformation. Steeped in tradition and resisting change, native people struggle for survival whilst the world and humanity progressively moves forward." Tribal Fusion, by Tracey Creighton, opens at Bungendore Fine Art, 42b Ellendon Street, on September 3 and runs until the end of the month.

There's still time to check out the very topical Earth exhibition over at Belconnen Arts Centre. A group of 15 artists have all ruminated on what Earth – as in, our planet – means to them, and how it sustains them "spiritually, physically and emotionally". "Through their eyes we see the healing and sustenance the planet provides and ultimately its role in the interconnectedness of all things," says curator Benita Tunks. "The Earth is a living organism with a need for us to respect its finite resources, its memories and its relationship to the universe. These works in this exhibition highlight its spirit and energies." Earth is showing until September 11 at Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen.

Canberra composer and pianist Michael Dooley is launching an album of original classical piano works next weekend. Anachronisms – A composer's journey through time have been described as a "musical Tardis that transports listeners from baroque-era Leipzig through four centuries of musical heritage ending in a tango hall in Argentina". It's been a long and winding journey to realise the album: "As a composition student at Sydney Conservatorium in the late '70s, I walked away from the atonality of much of the contemporary classical music of the era, and turned to writing pop songs and jazz," Dooley says. "But I never lost my desire to compose classical music, and started looking for ways to find my voice and get the creative juices flowing. I love lyricism and harmony in music, and am striving to blend that into a voice that is contemporary." "Anachronisms – a composer's journey through time is being launched with a concert on September 10, 7.30pm at Wesley Music Centre, National Circuit, Forrest. Tickets $25/$15 concession, including refreshments. Available at the door or at www.trybooking.com/204115.

That is, two photography exhibitions, about to open at M16 Artspace in Griffith. In Preset Memory, five photographers challenge their pre-determined viewpoint that may or may not direct the images they produce as they embark on new projects. Lee Grant takes us on a road trip on Australia's Highway 1, the world's longest continuous highway. Blaide Lallemand has images of her suburban life question "photography's ability to bear witness, with impressionistic, almost painterly responses to the idea of place". Mark Van Veen has captured urban environments that "reveal a keen eye for the patterns and structures of our world", and Ellis Hutch visited an abandoned Soviet facility in East Berlin and "used photography as a way of questioning her own role as a tourist". And Brenton McGeachie's photographs of the shells of insect bodies "invite viewers to take a close look at the subtle complexities of their architecture". And in Granite and Grain, Jane Duong and Chris Holly were inspired by Namadgi National Park, "an ancient place festooned with granite boulders, tall forests, cliffs and outcrops". They collaborated over two years to produce hand-printed argentotypes – an iron-silver photography process invented in 1842 – to "explore and capture the landscape". "Our images focus on natural processes, like erosion, growth and the repetitious illumination of the land by sunlight. These relentless happenings of nature translate surfaces from one form and structure one another," explains Duong. Preset Memory, and Granite and Grain open September 8 at M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, and run until September 25.