Yadingji

Deep appreciation for time ripples through the spiral of Yadingji. All times vibrate at once, and the present moment is shaped by the lineal notion of what has come before and what will be. 

 

Our old people are with us always. The decisions and actions they made, continue to impact, and shape our present and our future. In this way, we are always connected, we are always in relationship with them and in a moment of deep appreciation.

The spiral in this work holds deep cultural knowledge, which is respected by the artists. Made from the remnants of a Cyprus pine taken during the black summer bushfires of 2019, by Wandra Wandian / Murramarang / Walbunga man, Michael Robinson, who has strong family connections to Djiringanj / Thawa / Kurnai and Wolgal people. 

 

Yadingji artist of Worimi and European descendant Nicole Smede, describes the sound piece:

 

First they say, after light and divine footsteps, was the word that we

hold, the frequency of stars in our bones. Yet we have no name for

‘word’. Just ‘Her Song’ - the sacred. Older than talk. Her melodies sing,

press mossy earth, sustain the call of bellbirds and wind. Cool as water

her harmonies move, uniting oceans. 

 

Knotted cotton threads connect the past and the future, referencing significant moments of presence and appreciation, and act as a symbol of connectivity. Through participatory dialogues, the public are invited to knot thread to honour memory and knowledge, to be added to the work, creating new connections.