BARANGAROO WAYFINDING
Gurugal, Yagu, Barrabugu (Past, Present, Future)
Gadigal and Wangal Lands project was a commission initiated by Inner West Council and funded by a NSW Stronger Communities Grant.
Year
2021
Title
Gurugal, Yagu, Barrabugu (Past, Present, Future)
Location
Camperdown, NSW
Client
Inner West Council + Boomalli
Four artworks were delivered as part of this project with the final piece installed in Camperdown Rest Park in Newtown. All the works involved in the project describe and demonstrate the Aboriginal Heritage of the Inner West, and the fact that Aboriginal People are the oldest continuous culture on Earth. While there are knowledge holders and resources that speak intimately and in depth about the Aboriginal History and heritage of the Inner West Local Government Area, there are also major gaps in knowledge or understanding in other areas.
This project was part of a mentoring program with artist Chris Edwards to help create an opportunity for Aboriginal Artists to develop skills in public art practice. The program also aimed to address a gap in the number of Aboriginal Artists skilled in public art practice as well as to demystify some of the processes around public art practice making it accessible.
As a successful applicant for this project, it was the first time I had created a public art sculpture. With the guidance and mentoring of Chris, I was able to construct a unique artwork that adhered to public art installation guideline such as public safety restrictions, engineering certificates, and a maintenance manual to ensure the artwork lasts the 50 years requirement. The Gadigal Wangal Wayfinding Project won the 2021 Leo Kelly (AOM) Arts and Culture Awards which made the experience all the sweeter.
This artwork is about knowing the past and respecting the cultural significance of Aboriginal history on these lands. We are a part of this place.
We all are. The Nuwi (canoe) represents the past. What was once a common sight and means of fishing, travelling and recreation. The nuwi, a strong symbol of local knowledge, ingenuity and sustainable resources. This remarkable vessel is now something that may only ever be see in a museum, and no longer on the waters of Sydney Harbour and its connecting rivers. The Darwarang (shield) is symbolic of our present. We must protect what we have left of our cultural knowledge, of our languages, of our stories, our songs and our practices. We all must fight to keep it a part of our nation’s story. The Yarra (eucalyptus) leaf is for our future. Something that seems so fragile on its own but is part of a mighty gum which bares the flames of many summer fires to flourish and grow stronger each season. This artwork is for all of us the share, to learn, to respect, and move forward together with the knowledge of tens of thousands of years of culture.
