Celebrate NAIDOC Week at the library’s new immersive exhibition
The Fire Within opens this week at Deakin University’s Waterfront Campus, showcasing the groundbreaking digital production, The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History, and a new sand-based art installation by Lowell Hunter (The Salty One) called Embers of Connection: A Journey Through Fire, Sand and Country.
Experience The Earth Above
Enter a planetarium and be immersed in 140,000 years of Australia’s history, shown through both traditional and scientific knowledge. Visit Girraween Lagoon on Larrakia and Wulna Country near Darwin, NT; Cloggs Cave on Gunaikurnai Country in Victoria’s East Gippsland region; Lake Mungo in NSW on the lands of the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Ngiyampaa, and Mutthi Mutthi peoples; and Jiigurru (Lizard Island) on the Great Barrier Reef, which is sacred to many, including the Dingaal community.
The Earth Above was presented for two days during the 2023 Geelong Design Week and returns to Geelong for a twelve-week run in this specially curated exhibition by Deakin Library, in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).
The Earth Above producer, Dr Martin Potter from Deakin Motion Lab, said Traditional Owners and key community members from each nation have intricately woven their stories into the film, contributing to every aspect from writing and narration to animation.
‘This work entangles Indigenous knowledge and CABAH’s research, offering a transformative insight into Australia’s extensive cultural and environmental past that represents a change in thinking in both research methodologies and our perception of Country and place,’ Dr Potter said.
‘This project profoundly demonstrates that deep time is intrinsically human, highlighting our existence’s relevance rather than diminishing it. It underscores our perpetual connection to everything and everyone on Earth, prompting a reflective question: “What legacy shall we leave behind?”’
Explore Embers of Connection
In addition to the film planetarium experience, this exhibition features a new site-specific artwork called Embers of Connection: A Journey Through Fire, Sand and Country by Lowell Hunter. Also known as The Salty One, Lowell is a proud Nyul Nyul Saltwater man from the Kimberleys in Western Australia, who now lives on Wadawurrung Country in Djilang (Geelong). His art tells stories of family, connection and identity through sand carvings made using foot movements drawn from traditional dance.
This large installation, featuring sand art and multimedia, was commissioned to coincide with NAIDOC Week and its 2024 theme: ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud.’
When talking about his work Lowell reflected on his creative practice. ‘Primarily, I create on beaches and work on beautiful coastlines that wrap around this country; we call it Australia. And I was able to bring that into the four walls of Deakin Waterfront Campus,’ he said. ‘I think is important because it’s about bringing culture into these places. And being able to show that in a way that doesn’t diminish or dilute who we are. I wanted to ensure that the story that I’m telling is true to who I am, and what I’ve learned from my Elders.’
Asked about his connection to sand and the ocean as part of his artistic practice, Lowell said, ‘My identity is about my connection to country through my ancestral lines. So that is being the Nyul Nyul person. So Nyul Nyul is our clan group or language group that is just north of Perth in Western Australia. And so within that we have this incredible connection, that Country that revolves around the ocean a lot in saltwater. I grew up as a young boy, going out fishing, and hunting with my mom and my extended family. It’s something that I grew up with knowing that that was part of who I am. Throughout my life, I’ve had different places that I’ve lived, and I’ve travelled. But one thing that’s been this constant reminder for me, is: get back to the ocean, be in the water. Saltwater is a place of healing and comfort, and it brings me peace. But also, I feel like I’m connecting back into the spiritual connection of my old people, because that’s what we’ve done for thousands and thousands of years, is being connected to Country through that practice.’
Celebrate Indigenous knowledges
Deakin University Librarian Hero Macdonald says the library is honoured to partner with Lowell Hunter and Deakin Motion Lab to produce this groundbreaking work to kick off NAIDOC Week.
‘Libraries are all about making knowledge available. The Fire Within offers visitors a chance to experience First Nations knowledge in a way they never have before. This immersive exhibition will invite our visitors to step into a world where Western archaeological research, traditional knowledges and cutting-edge technologies combine to offer insights into Australia’s and Geelong’s rich cultural history through deep time,’ they continued.
The Fire Within is on display in the Waterfront Gallery at Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library, entry via Cunningham St, and will be opening with a launch event tomorrow, Tuesday 9 July at 5.30pm (register here).
Entry to the exhibition is free to the public from Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, until 27 September.