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[title]Connection is the latest experience to grace the walls, floors, speakers and multi-sensory spaces of the Lume Melbourne, a cutting-edge digital gallery and immersive art space. The experience consists of nearly 650 digital and original artworks from more than 110 visual and musical First Nations artists, making it the largest collection of First Nations art ever assembled.
If you’re not someone who frequents traditional art galleries, rest assured – witnessing Connection is the complete opposite of tiptoeing through a silent hall to view masterpieces from afar. Instead, this multi-sensory experience places you right in the middle of the art, complemented by a soundtrack from First Nations musicians.
This is our library. This is our recorded history.
Visitors can also savour a menu curated by renowned chef Mark Olive which celebrates the vibrant flavours of First Nations produce, enjoy interactive installations, and get up close and personal with a gallery of original, physical artworks.
After taking in the experience, we were lucky enough to chat with multi-award-winning Indigenous photographer Wayne Quilliam, who is a co-curator and featured artist in Connection. He shared what it was like travelling the country to bring together such a huge collection of art.
“I was fortunate enough to visit a lot of different communities to film and photograph not only the artwork, but also the artists, and record their stories”, says Quilliam.
He also emphasises the importance of following cultural protocols while sharing First Nations stories. “We wanted to ensure that culture was at the very top of what we were creating”, says Quilliam.
As for Connection’s core purpose, for Quilliam it’s all about documenting and sharing the country’s rich First Nations culture.
“This is our library. This is our recorded history”, he says. “A lot of people are not aware that we never had a written history before everybody else lobbed up.”
“What you see in [the Lume Melbourne] is what I get to feel all the time when I’m out on Country, whether I’m in someone’s house in Redfern in Sydney or the furthest reaches of the Western Desert. It’s the sitting down and listening to people’s stories through art.”
All in all, Quilliam stresses that everyone has something to gain from experiencing Connection at the Lume Melbourne.
“In this time of what’s happening around the world, it’d be great for people to get back to culture and learn who we are as people.”