About the artwork
Maree Clarke’s large-scale artwork Barerarerungar is a vibrant 45-metre-long installation that will line the Federation Square entrance to Town Hall Station, made up of 30 glass panels.
Pronounced “bar–rarr–re–rungar”, this is the Boon Wurrung language word for Country— encompassing the land, sea and sky across the Kulin Nation.
The work weaves together the cultural and ecological narratives of the five clans of the Kulin Nations - Wadawurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, and Bunurong / Boonwurrung - through photographic landscapes, significant scar trees and intricate line drawings inspired by possum skin cloak designs.
Created in close consultation with Elders and Traditional Owners, Barerarerungar acknowledges the traditional tanderrum ceremonies once held at the Town Hall Station site and celebrates the continued Aboriginal connection to land and the practice of culture.
Maree has worked with other artists on the artwork, which includes photography by Lucy Foster and Daryl Fleay, and line drawings by artist Mitch Mahoney. It will be printed on large format glass panels by Melbourne manufacturer Viridian Glass and carefully craned in and installed inside the station entrance.
About the artist
Renowned artist Maree Clarke is a Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung woman who grew up in Mildura and now lives in Melbourne. Her work connects the past with the present – telling stories of Aboriginal people, their connections to Country and cultural practices that extend back more than 60,000 years.
Maree Clarke has also created the line-wide artwork featured on the platforms of all 5 new Metro Tunnel stations.