Place, performance and the body are central to Tiwi art-making. YOYI, draws on these performative foundations, using the medium of film to bring both dance, language and vision of country into the gallery. Supported by the Australia Council, this is the first time that Jilamara artists have explored digital-based media to frame the experience of their ochre paintings, ironwood carvings and screened fabrics. This installation will immerse audiences in a multi-channel work on large opposing projection screens. Each screen will feature an artist, painted in the ochre of the landscape, sharing their individual Tiwi totem through YOYI (dance) on country. Through sound and moving image this work establishes a clear link between the iconic styles of Jilamara design and its roots in dance, body painting, family totem and country. This project is the first time that a Tiwi video installation (that incorporates artists dancing on Country) has been shown in tandem with major selection of Tiwi bark paintings.
Text by Pedro Wonaeamirri, Mintawinga amitiya Wurrungura: from bark to moving image