This project took place over 2 years in Western Australia, Leonora / Darlot country. It was co-commissioned between International Art Space, Perth and Healthway, Australia.
I worked closely with the local community, many who are still friends. In this project I researched the effect of the open pit mining surrounding the landscape alongside a closer look at the different language groups in the area, both indigenous languages and the white immigration groups since early 1900. I worked with light and old photograpic techniques to engage and tease out ideas of heritage and linguistic belonging. I taught soldering and solarcell driven battery charging that was connected to bendable Neon lightstrips in which we spelled out words onto makeshift billboards and that was placed in the crossing of the old mining community Gwalia (now a ghost town/ outdoor museum), the Dingo Dreaming / Mt Leonora mountian and the newer town Leonora. This was agreed with the Elders. Over 120 people came from all over the western outback, including the ABC tv channel giving attention to the project.
The work where also included in the exhibition SPACED 3 in 2018/19 at Art Gallery Western Australia (AGWA) where a catalogue was produced.
In 2019 The Light & Language project was put forward for nomination at BAAL (British Association for applied linguistics) and awarded 1st prize in Visualising Multilingualism at Manchester Mets / Birkbeck University.
Film clip ABC channel click here
