A PROCESSION of four 30-metre long portrait photographs of farmers, orchardists and Barkindji elders made its way through the dry Menindee Lakes on Saturday to highlight the ecological decline of the Darling-Barka River.
The procession was conceived by the French contemporary artist JR as part of the Homily to Country project for the National Gallery of Victoria Triennial, focusing on the impacts of intensive irrigation, climate change and drought on the river system.
Starting at Lake Cawndilla, the procession of Menindee locals aimed to honour the personal stories and experiences of the four portrait subjects, Barkindji elder Badger Bates, orchardists Rachel Strachan and Alan Whyte — who were each forced to remove their family’s commercial orchards due to lack of irrigation flows — and Wayne Smith, a sixth-generation farmer whose family has lived and worked on the river since the early 1890s.
The portraits were taken by JR during a visit to the area in February 2020. Through the work, he hopes to draw attention to the plight of individuals affected by the Darling-Barka River’s decline.
The large-scale photographs were carried across the land by local community members, symbolising the connection between the subjects, their community, and the ecosystem.
A film of the live procession will form part of the NGV Triennial and will be exhibited alongside an open-air chapel in the NGV garden in Melbourne, which is inlaid with stained-glass windows based on photographic portraits of the quartet.
“Through this ambitious project, JR explores one of the most significant ecological issues facing Australia today,” NGV director Tony Ellwood said.
The procession in the Menindee Lakes district … highlights important local voices and gives global attention to the environmental concerns of the Murray-Darling River.”
The work is part of larger body of work by JR focusing on the the plight of farmers.
“I started this project in Italy, very far from Australia,” the artist said, “yet farmers have similar issues: protect their environment and live decently from their work.
“Like many people this past year who were not able to participate in important life moments, I will follow the procession remotely but will surely feel the presence of all the people gathered.”
Some community members in the Menindee region, including the portrait subjects in JR’s work, are calling for a re-evaluation of river policy and more sustainable irrigation practices, advocating a new river management system based on ecological flows and indigenous land management practices as a new benchmark to improve the health of the river.
“Barka is the name of our beautiful river,” Mr Bates said.
“It is who Barkindji people are, people of the river.
“Barkindji never left our land, we are still here, we love our land and it loves us. We have stories that explain its creation and how everything works, so we know how to look after it.”
Another work by JR focusing on the loss of farming traditions and access to land in parts of Italy, Omelia Contadina, is also on display as part of the NGV Triennial.
The triennial is a large-scale exhibition of international contemporary art, design and architecture, featuring 86 projects by more than 100 artists, designers and collectives from more than 30 countries.
The free exhibition runs until April 18.
