Walking through a Songline; immersive exhibition where ancient tales meet modern technology
From 20 June to 31 July, the John Harvey Community Hall at the Salisbury Community Hub will be transformed into a space of wonder, as we welcome the National Museum of Australia’s pop-up exhibition, Walking through a Songline.
Stemming from the internationally-acclaimed exhibition, Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, the pop-up installation will have visitors in awe as it defies the boundaries of time and space.
Guests will be able to walk through the exhibition, immersed in First Nations culture, heritage, and dreaming. Vibrant projections will depict a songline, a sacred Aboriginal tradition passed down through generations.
Following the journey of the Seven Sisters Tjukurrpa as they are pursued across the Western and Central Deserts of Australia, visitors will watch the sisters’ encounters become marked into the landscape along the way, providing direction and guidance to travellers yet to come.
Mayor Gillian Aldridge OAM says the exhibition is a special opportunity not to be missed.
I’m thrilled that we are able to bring this exhibition to our community at such an important time of year, as we have observed National Sorry Day, and celebrated National Reconciliation Week, and NAIDOC Week.
Our community has connected through workshops, events, and discussions aimed at supporting and embracing First Nations culture. I urge community members to see this exhibition, which is much more than just a beautiful display.
It is a powerful production and a chance to connect with First Nations culture. A chance to pause, reflect, and pay homage to the custodians who have passed this knowledge down for generations.
From the National Museum of Australia, Adjunct Professor Margo Ngawa Neale has expressed the importance of showing this exhibition locally.
‘While this highly acclaimed and much-in-demand exhibition tours internationally we must keep an essential part of it, the beating heart, here in Australia.
‘We need to remind all Australians, that although this story has ancient origins, it has critical contemporary relevance and uses contemporary technology as well as more conventional art forms.’
Director of Mosster Studio, creators of the original digital installation and the new pop-up version, Angela Hernandez, said of the exhibition, ‘Walking through a Songline is a transformative experience that gives visitors the sensation of walking through songlines themselves.’
To connect with our country's First Nations culture through art, Indigenous voices, innovative multimedia and other immersive displays, visit the Salisbury Community Hub by 31 July to see Walking through a Songline in person.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.