Opening of the Saltwater Freshwater exhibition 09.12.23
Opening of the Saltwater Freshwater exhibition at the Manning Regional Art Gallery
Category
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CreativityTranscript
00:00 As an artist myself, I understand what you go through.
00:04 And being through some exhibitions myself,
00:09 I know what it feels like when you first put your heart--
00:12 that's your heart as an artist, putting your work up there
00:15 on the walls for people to like.
00:18 So congratulations to you.
00:22 I even look at the back, and I'm admiring even just what I've
00:26 seen in here, different artists that have put their time
00:29 and effort into it.
00:32 And on that path, also, the layer that we stand on.
00:40 This country, Aboriginal people, we identify to our--
00:45 the Burrapai country, the Warrawa country, the Wurundjeri
00:49 country, the Bunjilung country, and so forth.
00:52 And there's many countries all over Australia
00:55 that Aboriginal people claim as their country.
01:00 Burrapai means "place of big hollow."
01:02 We now call this the Manning Valley today.
01:05 But for thousands of years, we've already named this place.
01:09 Burrapai means "place of big hollow."
01:12 Burrapai Wurrawa.
01:15 And our people hunted and gathered for thousands of years,
01:18 like I said.
01:20 We moved along these rivers, creeks, and the ocean
01:24 at different times of the year.
01:26 So this land was very precious and sacred to us.
01:30 There may be robots.
01:31 There may be other things all around me today.
01:33 But deep underneath that all the heart is footsteps
01:38 of my ancestors, where they've walked and gathered
01:43 for thousands of years.
01:44 So I stand here, a strong Burrapai man.
01:49 And I want to welcome you now in the language that's
01:52 spoken in this country.
01:56 Gatang, gatang language.
01:59 And it goes like this.
02:01 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
02:21 I said, greetings.
02:22 My name is Uncle Russ.
02:24 And I, yes, I am a proud, strong Burrapai man.
02:28 This is Burrapai country.
02:30 And it always was and it always will be Burrapai country.
02:35 This is sha country.
02:37 But this is our country.
02:39 I share this with all of us today.
02:41 This is our country.
02:44 So let us go together, my friends.
02:49 [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
02:51 And that's where they said, it sounds like didgeridoo.
02:59 And that's where the name comes from.
03:02 But it comes from the top end in the central desert.
03:06 There's two names up there, the way they call it.
03:09 But let me play it in tune.
03:12 [MUSIC - "GATANG"]
03:18 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
03:22 [MUSIC - "GATANG"]
03:25 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
03:29 [MUSIC - "GATANG"]
03:32 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
03:36 [MUSIC - "GATANG"]
03:39 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
03:42 [MUSIC - "GATANG"]
03:54 [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
03:57 [MUSIC - "GATANG"]
04:00 [APPLAUSE]
04:19 The Saltwater Freshwater Arts 2023
04:22 is a touring exhibition combining the Saltwater
04:25 Freshwater Aboriginal Art Award and Contemporary Cultural
04:28 Object Exhibition.
04:30 This award was established in 2017.
04:32 And the exhibition features artists
04:34 from Warrami, Biripi, Dungunee, and Gulbanga
04:37 nations on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.
04:40 Saltwater Freshwater is an organization
04:42 which is supported by the New South Wales
04:44 government through Create New South Wales.
04:46 And without their support, this exhibition wouldn't happen.
04:51 This year's guest curator is Crown Rajaridman,
04:54 Catherine Kroll.
04:55 Catherine, unexpectedly and due to unforeseen circumstances,
04:59 can't be here today.
05:01 So I would just like to say a few words on her behalf
05:05 about the exhibition.
05:07 Catherine is an artist herself, a curator, a writer,
05:10 and lecturer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies
05:13 at TAFE New South Wales, and the founding director
05:16 of Cultural Partnerships Australia.
05:18 Catherine has initiated and managed large international
05:20 touring exhibitions and cultural exchange programs
05:23 throughout the Asia Pacific and works
05:26 in the space of having that cross-cultural connections
05:30 between Asia and indigenous nations.
05:34 So this is from Catherine.
05:36 "I'm delighted by the diversity of artwork
05:38 and the breadth of stories submitted.
05:40 Artists from across the saltwater freshwater footprint
05:43 have created pieces which reflect their personal journeys,
05:46 their connection to country, language, culture,
05:49 and family.
05:50 Many of the works specifically reference the colour
05:53 of the artist's saltwater freshwater country
05:56 and their connections to the ancestral knowledge
05:59 and law passed down over millennia."
06:02 So thank you to Catherine.
06:04 And I would like to also say thank you
06:06 to all of the artists that are present here.
06:08 So if you're an artist for saltwater freshwater,
06:10 just put your hand up.
06:12 Wonderful.
06:14 Yay.
06:15 So thank you.
06:16 And the artists, the works that continue on the tour,
06:20 they started in on Gadigal country
06:22 at the Gumbali Aboriginal Art Gallery in Sydney.
06:25 And it will continue on with a third space to have the show.
06:30 It'll head up to Coffs Harbour.
06:31 It will go to Kempsey.
06:33 And then it's also going to come back to Port Macquarie.
06:35 So there's still opportunity to see the show further up here.
06:39 But we're very happy to have it here.
06:41 So thank you so much to the artists.
06:43 And congratulations.
06:45 [laughter]
06:47 [no audio]