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FIRST LIGHTS – KOORANUP
18 November 2023 @ 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
18/11/2023
5pm to 9:30pm
Army Jetty, Rottnest Island
Auslan Interpreted Event.
“Kooranup, is the place beyond the horizon and past Moombaki, where the water meets the sky. It is the heavenly shore located in the far west. Our spirits final resting place in the Noongar Nyitting (Dreaming)”. – Ilona McGuire
The Fremantle Biennale’s acclaimed drone light and sound experience, First Lights, returns in 2023 with Kooranup, a sequel to the stories shared through Moombaki in 2021. This epic spectacle of light, movement and sound will again transform the night sky with 160 drones taking flight over the stage of the bilya (river) and wardan (ocean).
Pioneering new technology and artistic practices to share ancient knowledge, Koornaup will reveal the first stories of place across three weekends and three locations. Revealed will be a series of connected stories by artists Yabini Kickett, Cass Lynch, Tyrown Waigana, and Ilona McGuire, guided by Whadjuk Nyoongar Traditional Owners.
On the first weekend, as the saltwater laps at the shores of Bathers Beach, Tyrown Waigana brings to life a witty reflection of an ancient story of ancestral beings and an epic battle that shaped our coastline.
On the expansive grounds at the river edge, Yabini Kickett’s offering calls us to attention within the natural landscape; from the echoing sounds of wind in the sheoaks to chirping frogs of the bilya (river), this is a story of kinship, interconnectedness and transformation.
The last chapter will unfold across the ocean, on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), with a collective offering, led by Ilona McGuire and writer Cass Lynch. This closing chapter offers a space for deep contemplation across land and water, weaving together the many stories across time, both beautiful and heartbreaking, that are held by the island.
Come, sit by the water, share in the ancient and living stories of Kooranup.
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