The Spirit of Things: Day 2

'The Spirit of Things - Sound of Objects' is a research, history, arts and cultural project that explores residual and embedded stories and songs retained in Aboriginal cultural material. The projects creators (known as The Spirit of Things Collective) will sit with objects held in the Australian Museum and listen as they tell their story. They will then interpret those sounds into song and image and release them into the world where again they can breathe and speak.

Today our Spirit of Things Collective had a clearer idea of what we wanted to see or connect with in the Indigenous Collection of the Australian Museum. However, at first it was a little difficult to shake the outside world and relax enough to allow ourselves a chance to listen.

Our brains are so wired to go, go, go, that we find it difficult to be silent. But as I became settled and stopped wanting to talk, my mind did start to unwind and I began to feel a sense of reverence and also sadness.

As I explored the collections I realised that many of these objects, these artefacts are far from country. And as I walked down the aisle, I also had a sense of the many stories and songs attached to each one, stories that connect to country and it felt overwhelming.

Our Spirit of Things Collective is excited and honored to have the opportunity to listen and breathe life into these objects, acknowledging their stories, songs and country and also letting them know we hear them.

~ Kaleena Smith