Badu Gili: Story Keepers
Badu Gili: Story Keepers projects the art and stories of First Nations artists from opposite ends of the world onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
Look at the Sydney Opera House from 17 December and you’ll see something truly extraordinary: Badu Gili: Story Keepers, a six-minute animation projecting the stories of First Nations artists. The work features Gooniyandi elder Mervyn Street from the Kimberley in Australia and Inuk artist Ningiukulu Teevee from Nunavut in Canada’s Arctic. Curated by Bruce Johnson McLean, the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain’s First Nations curatorial fellow, the animation is part of the Opera House’s free nightly projection program, now in its third year.
“I’m going back through my history, I’m doing it for the people, doing it for everybody, not for myself.”
Badu Gili means ‘water light’ in the language of the Gadigal, the traditional owners of Tubowgule/Bennelong Point. The art project, presented by the Biennale of Sydney and Fondation Cartier, continues the tradition of this location as a gathering place for community, ceremony and storytelling for thousands of years.
Street’s paintings reflect his life as a stockman and his dedication to preserving Gooniyandi culture. “I’m going back through my history, I’m doing it for the people, doing it for everybody, not for myself,” he says. “I’m passing on my knowledge. This was a big project. I didn’t know it was going to go this far. It’s been a long journey for my art and now I can’t believe I’m doing this with the Sydney Opera House.”
Teevee’s work draws on Inuit myths and legends. “I am honoured to be part of this animation project, which brings to life the legend of the Owl and the Raven – a story that has stayed with me since childhood,” she explains. “I first heard it in school from an Elder whose storytelling captured my imagination. The themes of curiosity, transformation and the balance between patience and pride continue to inspire me. Through this animation, I explore how Raven’s restless spirit and Owl’s calm wisdom reflect human nature and the lessons found in our traditions.”
The animation was created by Sydney-based agency Vandal, and travels from the landscapes of the Kimberley, where dust and wind carry ancestral voices, to Nunavut’s icy stillness, where Raven and Owl enact tales of creation, kinship and transformation.
As Johnson McLean says, “It’s been a real privilege to bring together two leading Indigenous artists from opposite sides of the world, from lands of heat and smoke and lands of snow and ice. What unites these artists is their incredible commitment to holding and sharing the knowledge and histories of their communities. Story Keepers is a celebration of those members of our Indigenous communities who continue to share our stories and give voice to our memories.”
The premiere on 17 December will feature a special sunset performance by First Nations country music artist Loren Ryan, and after that, Badu Gili: Story Keepers can be seen nightly for free.
