Signifying the profound connection between the Wurundjeri people and the lands and waterways, a monumental bronze eel trap by Wurundjeri artist Aunty Kim Wandin features in NGV Triennial, in collaboration with Sculpture Co Pty Ltd. Wandin’s sculpture Iuk bagurrk gunga, 2023, meaning ‘eel women catch’, is a tribute to the remarkable history of Wurundjeri women, their matrilineal tradition of weaving, and their relationship with the short-finned eel, known as iuk. The sculpture, which will be installed in the moat outside NGV International, highlights the migratory paths of these eels, which today traverse sewers and underground waterways across and beneath Naarm (Melbourne).
Aunty Kim Wandin speaks with NGV Senior Curator Myles Russell-Cook to share the narratives behind this work.
About the speakers
Aunty Kim Wandin is a Wurundjeri Elder of the Woiwurrung language group. She has lived and worked ‘on Country’ in Healesville, Victoria, her entire life. Her traditional basket-making has been handed down to her by direct lineage: from her grandmother, her great-grandmother and the Ancestors. Aunty Kim’s work represents a significant cultural position within the southeast of Victoria as part of an important group of arts practitioners. Her work adheres to and references traditional cultural practices. As a leading Aboriginal artist, Aunty Kim is exploring contemporary genres that both enhance and complement her basketry and fibre pieces. Her work speaks of space, texture and light, while giving reference to notions of movement. As an Elder, she advocates for strengthening culture and sharing her knowledge. Aunty Kim Wandin is a passionate, caring, professional Aboriginal woman and artist who is committed to her family, Ancestors, Elders and Culture
Myles Russell-Cook is the Senior Curator of Australian and First Nations Art at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Co-commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria and the City of Melbourne. Collection of the City of Melbourne