BodyPlaceProject presents ngurrak-al marram-u / body of the mountain, an experiential exhibition that reveals and generates connection between humans and the land through embodied and place-responsive art. Curated by Gretel Taylor in collaboration with artists Gülsen Özer and Mandy Nicholson, the exhibition showcases works from Aarti Jadu, Rebecca Murray, Mandy Nicholson, Jill Orr, Gülsen Özer, Laki Sideris, Gretel Taylor, and Tammy Wong Hulbert.
This exhibition is the result of a unique mobile residency where artists, guided by Wurundjeri Traditional Custodian Mandy Nicholson, walked together across Corhanwarrabul (the Dandenong Ranges) sharing their diverse approaches to place. Through visual, sound and performance art, the artists responded to their collective experience of the walk, offering a sensory exploration of Country, while reflecting upon global contexts from the perspective of Naarm’s closest mountain.
ngurrak-al marram-u (meaning “body of the mountain” in Woiwurrung) invites visitors to contemplate practices of walking as art, eco-performance as activism, and socially engaged practice that challenges anthropocentric views of our relationship with the environment. In an era of escalating precarity, ngurrak-al marram-u may offer possibilities for human and more-than-human ways of relating that you have not thought of before.
The exhibition will run from 24 May to 13 July 2025, with four public programs designed to engage the community and deepen the conversation about place-responsive art and performance.
Public Programs
Opening Event – Saturday, 24 May 3pm-5pm
The opening of ngurrak-al marram-u / body of the mountain will be celebrated with a special event featuring performances by renowned performance artist Jill Orr, Djirri Djirri dancers, and the exhibition artists. Wurundjeri artist Mandy Nicholson will deliver a Welcome and Call to Country, followed by an introduction to the exhibition by curator Gretel Taylor.
Cyanotype Workshop with Rebecca Murray – 7 June 11am – 12:30pm
Local artist Rebecca Murray will lead a cyanotype workshop where participants (aged 8+) can create sun-printed images from found natural materials. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore alternative photographic processes and connect with the local environment through art.
Rebecca Murray is a photographic artist and educator based in the Dandenong Ranges. Her cyanotype process explores themes of connection, transformation, and belonging to place.
Panel Discussion: Place-responsive Art and Performance Now – 12 June 5:30 – 7:00pm
Join artists from ngurrak-al marram-u / body of the mountain and international leaders in place-based art for a hybrid panel discussion. The panel will explore what place-based performance and art practices offer in the current global context, with a focus on climate change, Indigenous knowledge revitalisation, and political conflict.
Location: RMIT Interactive Theatre, Melbourne/Naarm, or join online
Panellists
- Arahmaiani (Indonesia)
- Professor Vicky Hunter (UK)
- Dr Jill Orr (Australia)
- Dr Mandy Nicholson (Wurundjeri)
Djirri Djirri Wurundjeri Dance Workshop: ‘Biik Ngarrga’ – 9 July 11:00 – 11:45am
Learn about the layers of Country through dance in this workshop with Djirri Djirri, the Wurundjeri women’s dance group. Participants will explore the connection between the body and the land, engaging with Traditional Custodians’ cultural practices.
Burrinja Gallery
351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey
ngurrak-al marram-u / body of the mountain is an outcome of BodyPlaceProject’s ‘On Country/In Residence’ project supported by Yarra Ranges Council and ngurrak barring, and assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
