Switch to be flicked off on DJAARA Lights

OVER the next four months people have a final opportunity to witness a light installation and augmented reality experience before it is decommissioned. 

Launched in late 2021 and known as DJAARA Lights, the project was the result of a collaboration between Dja Dja Wurrung’s corporation and the City of Greater Bendigo with funding from Creative Victoria. 

The exhibition is a collection of outdoor artworks portraying symbols associated with the six seasons of Dja Dja Wurrung culture. 

“The light projections that are on the wall each symbolise each one of the seasons, and then each section also through the augmented reality feeds on to those light projections,” said communications relationship manager at DJAARA, Mariaa Randall. 

“For example, there’s a wattle image that’s projected onto the building, and then when you go into the augmented reality there’s an actual 3D version of it. 

“Before you scan there’s a section that explains the six seasons, which then gives a bit of context to the images you’re actually seeing. 

“By using these different forms through the light projections and the augmented reality, it’s putting artwork in a concrete landscape, so it was really showing an example of the old with the new.” 

The artworks were created by local Indigenous artists Drew Berick and Troy Firebrace, along with high school and TAFE students from Indigenous backgrounds. 

The DJAARA Lights were installed in November 2021 and can be experienced until 19 March next year. 

“If they do want to learn more, there’s links to our website and to some of the other projects that we’ve done around town as well,” said Ms Randall. 

“So that they can learn more about Dja Dja Wurrung people and culture.” 

The installations are located at the Oscars Walk and Bath Lane precinct in Bendigo’s centre.