This is a cinematic journey deep into the Tanami Desert with the Karrinyarra people. Together, we bring indigenous lore to life in art through found moments with fire, landscapes, objects, sound, voice, and the Aboriginal Luritja language. We weave through country that has been transformed by recent desert fires, capturing memento mori: earth scars, traces of extinguished life, transforming flora, ant mounds, bushes, wildlife, smoke stain, fire graves, human debris.
As an artist who has made a career of observing diverse cultural realities, this work has been seminal in exposing me to a deeper meditation on the ancient knowledge and histories held within the earth, skies, and water of the Australian landscape, as well as the Indigenous Australian spiritual traditions embodied within them.
“Fire is a regenerator of life, without fire we wouldn’t survive,” say Nigel & Terence, Karrrinyarra elders.
With a global climate crisis following the worst wildfires in Australian history, the relevance of this exhibition is very timely. Aboriginal fire keepers and the Indigenous Council have a much-needed story to tell that benefits all life. By opening that secret world to others, this exhibition hopes to inspire cross-cultural understanding, support international climate movements, and give a push for new legislation that allows for First Nations people to participate in important ecological decision-making around crucial survival issues. Aboriginal fire practices are the beacon of global sustainability and are crucial knowledge for our collective ecological survival.
I acknowledge the Luritja and Karrinyarra people as the traditional custodians of the skies, land and water and give respect to elders both past and present. I acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.
