Big Walk to Golden Mountain

By February 20, 2017Media Releases

Big Walk to Golden Mountain

Spanning the month of March, Big Walk to Golden Mountain is a program of events devised by Castlemaine based Punctum Inc. It represents the regional contribution to the Art Centre’s massive Asia TOPA (Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts) program and connects it to the Goldfields of Central Victoria. It is also one of several national events marking the 160th year of Chinese migration to the Goldfields.

Big Walk to Golden Moountain

 

Big Walk to Golden Mountain is formed from two Chinese phrases – “Dai Gum San” and “Gum San”. Dai Gum San translates to Big Gold Mountain and is how the Chinese migrants who walked and lived here referred to the Bendigo goldfield region, while Gum San means Gold Mountain and relates to the Ballarat region of Victoria. Big Walk to Golden Mountain brings the two notions of Gum San and Dai Gum San together and references the passage walked between Ballarat and Bendigo, where indeed the works are taking place.

Over the past few months four artists from regional Victoria have been joined by four Chinese-Australian artists in walking a section of the of the Golden Mountain Trail, following in the footsteps of thousands of Guangdong gold seekers, who in the 1850’s travelled via Hong Kong to South Australia, then from the coastal town of Robe to the Central Victorian Goldfields – a trek of over 500kms. Each artist is responding to how this migration landscape evokes a sense of estrangement or a sense of belonging, and how the landscape reflects the original journey through the dispersal of cultures, flora and customs.

The work created by these artists will inform a participatory exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat; a public gathering in Vaughan Springs on Chinese Walking practices; and a Zen inspired courtyard and installation in Castlemaine in which a tea ceremony will be conducted. Each work and gathering will tell a story of how the Australian landscape is shaped by migration, and how these landscapes shape experiences of passage.

“Australia has a long, living culture of art expressing landscape, which in its most celebrated and unique form is Aboriginal. Because art is great at generating dialogue, we’re hoping that Big Walk to Golden Mountain is a catalyst for conversations on the ongoing shaping of landscape through our history of migration – a movement that has so informed our region since the 1850’s and indeed continues to shape identity and cultural heritage and expression nationally and globally.

Placing a spotlight on this heritage and giving it contemporary expression in Australia is a work we consider timely and vital. It will also be fun, poetic, with something for everyone and be good for your health. I used Chinese walking practice to successfully heal crushed knee cartilage and I’m now leaping down gullies and walking kilometres on the Golden Mountain Walk!”, said Punctum’s Artistic Director, Jude Anderson.

We are inviting people to join in a rare opportunity to experience the landscape by walking through Golden Mountain country with us.

Book Tickets Here

Author RobJ

Rob Jennings is working as the publicist for the Castlemaine State Festival. If you would like to get in contact see his website or email Rob here rob@wepushbuttons.com.au.

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