River of Language

A multimedia soundscape exhibition that celebrates UNESCO’s International Year of Indigenous Languages and the 25th Anniversary of the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL). 

Co-curated with VACL , ngulu wurneet, galada-al wurrung-u, parniwaru tyalingi, waran woorroong-ee, barringgi dyaling  –  River of Language encourages visitors to be immersed in Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing, and learn through listening and observation.

The VACL curatorial working group of Vicki Couzens and Brendan Kennedy, ask visitors to take the time and “learn to see the world through our eyes, through our words, stories and images.”

Melbourne Museum and the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre will be transformed into an immersive and vivid mixed media experience that explores language as culture, knowledge and empowerment.

Be surrounded by spears and shields made from box, red gum and belar tree species, and watch the wall of the Birrarung Gallery come to life with a striking 28 metre mural in honour of Victoria’s 44 language groups – a collaboration between young indigenous creatives and the exhibition Curators.

Bunjilaka is celebrating the launch of River of Language with a weekend of activities and activations. Come down and learn the hokey pokey in an Indigenous language, hear from storytellers, and weave with words and grass.