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Art exhibition creates waterways in Koorie life
by Jirra Lulla
A major art exhition celebrating the role of waterways in Koorie heritage was opened by the Koori Heritage Trust on June 6. The Ganagan: Waterways in Koorie Life and Art invites visitors to see Victoria’s waterways through Koorie eyes. Ganagan is a Taungurung word meaning deep water. CEO Tom Mosby said the Melbourne Watersponsored exhibition features artefacts, artworks and stories by Victorian Koorie artists. “Ganagan celebrates Koorie traditions and their continuing connection to caring for Victorian waterways,” Mr Mosby
Bronwyn Razem with her niece Rebecca Cahill in front of her work. Image supplied
said. “We are excited to be representing such a diverse range of items from our collection that showcases the talent of the Koorie artists we have here in Victoria,”he added. Senior Curator, Nerissa Broben, said a highlight of the exhibtion was Glenda Nicholl’s stunning artwork, Ochre Net, which won the Koorie Heritage Trust Acquisition Award and the CAL Award for Three Dimensional Works at last year’s Victorian Indigenous Art Awards. “Glenda’s Fishing Net was the inspiration for the Ganagan exhibition and
the strong representation of water related artefacts, artworks and stories in our collections,” said Ms Broben. “The ochre fishing net, inspired by the artist’s dream, symbolises the reclamation and reinterpretation of cultural practice,” she added. Other treasures on show include waterways mapped on kangaroo skins while creation stories share insights into how waterways were formed, for example how Birrangung, the Yarra River, was filled with the tears of two frightened young boys. “There is strong connection between
how we manage our waterways today and the traditions and sustainable practices that Aboriginal people used for thousands of years to manage habitat and wildlife,” Mr Balassone, Melbourne Water’s Heritage Services Coordinator said. “I encourage everyone to learn more about this unique connection between Koorie life and Victoria’s waterways by visiting the exhibition,” he said. The Ganagan: Waterways in Koorie Life and Art runs from 6 June - 3 September 2013 at the Koorie Heritage Trust. Entry is by a gold coin donation.
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