A new digital artwork by Gumatj artist and filmmaker, Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu from The Mulka Project in North East Arnhem Land has begun showing on Melbourne's Bourke Street 3DA billboard.
Commencing on Monday, Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu's artwork Bäru Gurtha premiered at 5:30pm on oOh!media's Bourke Street billboard for a special 25-minute showing.
The new partnership between the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and oOh!media will see the two-minute artwork appear on the billboard every hour from 3-9 June, reaching nearly 100,000 pedestrians daily.
Born deaf, Mr Yunupiŋu uses his clan's designs, totems, and Yolŋu sign language to convey their deep connections.
As a Gumatj clan member, Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu honours the Ancestral Crocodile, Bäru, and the Ancestral Fire, Gurtha.
NGA Director, Dr Nick Mitzevich said the collaboration makes arts instillations more accessible to the public.
"We are passionate about taking art beyond the walls of the Gallery and our partnership with oOh!media is a great example of finding new platforms to share art with the public," Dr Mitzevich said.
"The Mulka Project is a dynamic collective of artists who work with cutting-edge digital technologies and Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu has created an exciting new work about his culture that takes full advantage of the 3DA full motion site."
Mr Yunupiŋu's artwork depicts the moment Bäru first carried Gurtha from Maḏarrpa clan land to his Gumatj homeland of Birany'birany.
The Bourke Street billboard, one of oOh!media's full-motion 3D anamorphic sites, is the largest outdoor animated screen in Australia.
This is the first time an Indigenous artist's work will feature on a 3DA site, bringing First Nations art to a busy public space and capturing the attention of commuters and passersby.
oOh!media, head of creative, Josh Gurgiel said the advertising company was "thrilled" to combine traditional storytelling with state-of-the-art technology.
"It's an honour for our teams to work together to bring Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu's powerful artwork out of the gallery and into such a prominent public space on our premium 'The Bourke' site," Mr Gurgiel said.
"This collaboration highlights the innovative possibilities of digital art and 3D Anamorphic technology.
"We're thrilled to provide a platform that connects cultural heritage and storytelling of Australia's First peoples with modern technology, engaging audiences in a truly unique way."
Bäru Gurtha follows the NGA's previous partnership with oOh!media, which presented the Know My Name outdoor art event in February 2020.
This was part of the NGA's gender equity initiative, where works by 45 Australian women artists from the national collection were featured on around 3000 static and digital billboards nationally, reaching more than 12 million people.
