24 May 2024

Telling stories through seaweed: the new Revitalising Connection exhibition (Geelong)

In honour of Reconciliation Week, Deakin Library is privileged to collaborate with the research group DeakinSeaweed and the Wathaurong Co-operative to celebrate the cultural connection to seaweed through the artwork of young Indigenous people living on Wadawurrung Country.  

The new Revitalising Connection exhibition opens Monday 27 May, at the Waterfront Gallery (Waterfront Campus map) in the Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library. This impactful display serves as a testament to the profound significance of art and creativity in supporting cultural identity, as well as the importance of sharing knowledge to develop a sense of ownership and belonging.

‘We are directly benefiting from work on land that has not been returned to the rightful owners it was stolen from, whether we want to face that reality or not. In this context, it is important that we push back against putting this kind of work in the ‘too hard basket’, and work towards creating projects that prioritise the needs and wants of communities whose lands we work on. Now, more than ever, it is increasingly important to do the hard work. It might take time; you might have to build new connections, lean on colleagues – but this is the rent we must pay as non-Indigenous researchers. I feel this exhibition highlights the ways in which putting in this work can lead to some really beautiful and unexpected relationships, partnerships and outcomes for everyone involved.’  Zoë Brittain

PhD candidate Zoë Brittain, who leads the seaweed revitalisation project as part of the research group DeakinSeaweed, worked with Aunty Judy Dalton-Walsh to develop several workshops that blended scientific and cultural knowledge, on-Country experiences, art and storytelling to revitalise the cultural connections to seaweed within Wadawurrung and the broader Indigenous community in Geelong. The pieces created in these workshops are the central feature of Revitalising Connection.

Join us for the exhibition opening of Revitalising Connection: DeakinSeaweed and Wathaurong Co-operative! Everyone from Deakin and the local community is warmly welcomed to join us to launch this exhibition on Thursday 30 May from 5.30pm, which will include family-friendly refreshments, as well as an opportunity to explore the exhibition and meet the young artists. REGISTER NOW