A digital artwork by Gumatj artist and filmmaker, Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu from The Mulka Project, in North East Arnhem Land, will feature on the Bourke Street 3DA billboard for one week through a new National Gallery and oOh!media partnership.
Transporting himself from North East Arnhem Land to Naarm/Melbourne’s CBD, Yunupiŋu’s Bäru Gurtha will premiere at 5.30pm on Monday, June 3, on oOh!media’s Bourke Street billboard for a 25 minute showing.
"We are passionate about taking art beyond the walls of the Gallery and our partnership with oOh!media is a great example of finding new platforms to share art with the public," National Gallery director Nick Mitzevich said.
"The Mulka Project is a dynamic collective of artists who work with cutting-edge digital technologies and Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu has created an exciting new work about his culture that takes full advantage of the 3DA full motion site."
The Bourke Street billboard, a six-storey high screen, is one of oOh!media’s full motion 3D anamorphic sites. This will be the first time a 3DA site has been activated with a work of art by a First Nations artist in Australia.
The two-minute artwork will then feature on the billboard once every hour from June 3-9, reaching almost 100,000 pedestrians on average who pass the site every single day.
As a member of the Gumatj clan, Yunupiŋu holds deep reverence for the Ancestral Crocodile, Bäru, bearer of the Ancestral Fire, Gurtha.
His artwork encapsulates an Ancestral narrative, depicting the moment Bäru first carried Gurtha from Maḏarrpa clan land to his Gumatj homeland of Birany’birany.
Yunupiŋu is part of the The Mulka Project, a collective of Yolŋu digital artists based out of the Buku- Larrŋggay Mulka Art Centre in Yirrkala, Yolŋu Country.
Collaborating with his team at The Mulka Project, Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu who was born deaf, has crafted a new 3D digital artwork that incorporates his clan's designs, totems and his cultural Yolŋu sign language to communicate their intrinsic connection.
oOh!media head of creative Josh Gurgiel said it's an honour for the teams to work together to bring Yunupiŋu's powerful artwork out of the gallery and into such a prominent public space on the ‘The Bourke’ site.
"This collaboration highlights the innovative possibilities of digital art and 3D Anamorphic technology. We’re thrilled to provide a platform that connects cultural heritage and storytelling of Australia’s First peoples with modern technology, engaging audiences in a truly unique way."
Bäru Gurtha follows a partnership with oOh!media to present the Know My Name Outdoor Art Event in February 2020 as part of the National Gallery’s gender equity initiative.
Works by 45 Australian women artists from the national collection featured on some 3,000 classic and digital billboards nationally reaching more than 12 million people.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.