Lynette Wallworth’s VR experience Collisions to tell an Indigenous Australian story at ACMI

Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth will present a virtual reality film experience titled Collisions at ACMI from October this year. The free exhibition will be a part of the Melbourne Festival, and will run at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image from Thursday 6 October 2016 to Sunday 15 January 2017.

Exploring the collision of science and spirit, this is Wallworth’s first work using virtual reality technology. It is also the first to document an Indigenous Australian story. Collisions explores the homeland of Indigenous elder Nyarri Morgan and the Martu tribe in Western Australia.

The production combines live action and animation, and shows the story of the Martu tribe whose first contact with Western culture came in the 1950s when Morgan witnessed an atomic test first-hand. There are 360-degree filming techniques in remote locations, which involved the crew driving great distances to avoid being in frame.

Collisions premiered this January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and has screened at festivals including Tribeca and San Francisco International Film Festival. Wallworth says, “I am so happy to be showing Collisions at ACMI in October as part of the Melbourne Festival,” “As my work HOLD; Vessel 1 was part of the very first exhibition at ACMI in 2002 it has always held a special place for me.”

Collisions is Wallworth’s third work on the Martu people of the Western Desert. She says, “Collisions, my new VR work, is a powerful parable for our country. Nyarri Morgan’s story has been hidden till now so I am grateful that it will be showcased at ACMI allowing many to contemplate its message,” she said.

The ACMI CEO and Director, Katrina Sedgwick, discusses Collisions: “This extraordinary work takes us into the world of the Martu people, connecting us with Nyarri’s story, and enabling us insight into his experience and that of his community and allowing us to ask urgent questions.”

Representing people and the natural world, Wallworth’s works have been shown at the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts, the American Museum of Natural History and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, amongst many others. “Lynette has an exceptional ability to harness new technologies to create her works, revealing stories in a way that creates a deeply affecting and emotional connection for her audiences,” said Sedgwick.

Collisions: Lynette Wallworth is a free exhibition running at ACMI from Thursday 6 October. For more information, visit https://www.acmi.net.au/exhibitions/collisions-lynette-wallworth/

A free ‘In Conversation’ event will take place on Saturday 8 October, 3:30pm between Theatre Director Enrique Vargas, and Lynette Wallworth. For more information on Creating Worlds, visit https://www.acmi.net.au/creating-worlds

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