General News
25 April, 2023
Future tech explores our past
Artbox’s return to the Wimmera to present new digital artworks developed by artists Brett Leavy and Kim Munro, was certainly welcome with over 30 people attending the showcasing on April 15 at the Warracknabeal Town Hall. During their February...
Artbox’s return to the Wimmera to present new digital artworks developed by artists Brett Leavy and Kim Munro, was certainly welcome with over 30 people attending the showcasing on April 15 at the Warracknabeal Town Hall.
During their February residency at the Warracknabeal Courthouse and Powerhouse in Hopetoun, artists Brett Leavy and Kim Munro spent time with local community members and groups, presented workshops, visited the historical society and landmarks, spent time on Country and hearing stories from Uncle Ron Marks.
The artists also got out on the road with their cameras filming and documenting the unique landscape and environment of the Wimmera Mallee region.
Their latest exhibition featured digital artworks by Munro and Leavy, both of whom are interested in how history and the stories we tell about a place shape our present and future.
[BOLD] Virtual Songlines
A Virtual Reality (VR) experience of ancient Warracknabeal, Hopetoun and Horsham created by Brett Leavy and his studio Bilbie XR Labs.
Virtual Songlines transports the viewer to a pre-colonial era, where Aboriginal custom and lore was the way of life.
Through this work, viewers can explore the land, go hunting, fishing, camping, and collect essential tools and knowledge to ensure their survival.
The VR experience is designed to be interactive, and viewers will move through the ancient world just like a video game.
The project is an excellent example of how technology can be used to preserve cultural heritage and educate viewers about the rich significance of the land and its stories in the Wimmera region.
[BOLD] The Futorical Society (and the woman who killed the weeds)
A digital short film made by Kim Munro with interviews and objects contributed by Warracknabeal and Hopetoun workshop participants.
Kim’s short film installation “The Futorical Society (and the woman who killed the weeds)” features 3D scans of treasured and curious objects, audio interviews, and landscape filming. Kim invited workshop participants to imagine the objects and stories that might feature in Wimmera museums and historical societies in the future.
The film also celebrates the story of Vera Molnar - a scientist who saved the Mallee grain industry when she discovered how to eradicate noxious weeds in the 1960s-70s.