Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool

Location

WA Museum Boola Bardip
Perth Cultural Centre, Perth / Boorloo

Dates

Dates

This exhibition has now finished. Please visit Exhibitions to see what’s on at the Museum.

Saturday 18 November 2023 – Sunday 4 February 2024

This exhibition has now finished. Please visit Exhibitions to see what’s on at the Museum.

Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool—Gija for “old car” and pronounced Wah-nah-rool Nu-nu-rool—is a Gija cultural object – a sonic and visual reflection of story and landscape created through the long-term partnership of the Warmun Aboriginal community and Tura. 

Tura is an intercultural focused arts organisation based in Perth, and recognised internationally for community engagement and cultural exchange programs through the sonic arts. In 2017, working with Australian composer/sound artist Jon Rose, Tura initiated a project with the community and artists of Warmun, an Aboriginal community located in East Kimberley 197 kilometres south of Kununurra. The traditional owners of the country are Gija.

After setting out in search for the ideal car wreck amongst the many that feature along the length of the corrugated roads and bushland around Warmun, a 1980’s Mazda ute was chosen. Working with a team of Gija mechanics, Jon ‘strung’ the ute with fence wire to be bowed and welded all fashion of extra wreck parts to make a percussion instrument of unique dimensions. It was further transformed in May 2018 by ten Gija artists who painted various panels, and is now a composite of sculptural work, visual artwork and sonic instrument.

The WA Museum subsequently acquired the object and documentation for exhibition in the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

In 2023, Tura, in partnership with the WA Museum, produced a program entitled 'The Journey Down'. Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool was transported from Kununurra to Perth accompanied by a series of performances and engagement at various cities and towns. It will go on display at WA Museum Boola Bardip initially as part of the temporary exhibition Three Journeys, and then move to a front of house location for permanent display.

Within the exhibition, Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool is accompanied by projection mapping and audiovisual interpretation.

 

 

Produced by Tura in collaboration with Warmun Art Centre, Warmun Community Inc & Ngalangangpum School & East Kimberley Job Pathways

Gija Artists 

Shirley Purdie

Gordon Barney

Nancy Nodea

Lindsay Malay 

Gabriel Nodea 

Eddie Nulgit 

Charlene Carrington 

Mark Nodea 

Evelyn Malgil

Andrew (Pelican) Daylight

Sound Sculpture Concept and Creation

Jon Rose 

Video and Animation 

Sohan Hayes

Image and Video

Edify Media

Partners 

The creation and development of Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool has been supported by the State Government of Western Australia through the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries, the Australian Government through the Regional Arts Fund, Healthway and the Ian Potter Foundation.

Important information

Accessibility
Accessibility

 

This event is wheelchair accessible.

50% visual content rating – Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool has both sound and visual components.

50% aural content rating – Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool has sound components.

If you have any questions about access, please get in touch with us via reception@museum.wa.gov.au or on (08) 9021 8533.

 

 

The Journey Down tour has been supported by the State Government of Western Australia through the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program, and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

Logos for Western Australian Museum, Tura, Creative Australia and Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
A burned orange background with three light blue lines in the shape of the number three

Three Journeys

Join our transformative journey celebrating Aboriginal culture as Bush Mechanics, Cleverman, and Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool meet at Boola Bardip. Explore this free exhibition from November 18, 2023 – February 4 2024.