Uluṟu's Field of Light has appeared far from its desert home, with a giant street mural depicting Ayers Rock Resort's iconic light installation unveiled in Richmond, Naarm, on Friday.
Created to celebrate Field of Light's 10th anniversary, the 25 metre mural is a collaboration between two celebrated Indigenous artists; Wurundjeri muralist Alex Kerr and Aṉangu artist Valerie Brumby (Uluṟu Traditional Owner of Walkatjara Art Centre) - who travelled thousands of kilometres from the Red Centre to bring the project to life.
Brumby painted the original on canvas at Uluru, depicting Field of Light through her own eyes, while Kerr scaled and interpreted the work onto the public wall in Richmond with Valerie's guidance, together with his own protection and creation totems, Waa (crow) and Bunjil (eagle).
The street art also features real desert soundscapes - capturing the quiet wind whispering through spinifex grass - which play from motion-activated speakers.
The piece will remain in place on Wurundjeri Country (Corner Swan and Carroll St, Richmond) until the 18th of April. Brumby's original canvas will then move to permanent display at the Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA) at Ayers Rock Resort.
Created by world-renowned light artist, Bruce Munro, Field of Light was originally intended as a temporary exhibition when it opened in 2016.
Sitting gently on Aṉangu Country, the artwork features 50,000 solar-powered stems illuminating an area the size of seven football fields.
It has now welcomed more than 750,000 visitors to Uluṟu, and has become one of Australia's most iconic and most photographed attractions.
"Doing this artwork, painting the sunset over the Field of Light makes me feel happy and proud," said Ms Brumby.
"This is good for the tourists to see, and we are making a mural to show everyone how beautiful it is."
Mr Kerr said it is both a privilege and an honour to collaborate on this mural.
"As a proud Wurundjeri man, my work is always grounded in culture and deep connection to Country - carrying forward the stories, knowledge and legacy of my ancestors through art," he said.
"It is both a privilege and an honour to collaborate on this mural, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Field of Light, and to share the stories of both Wurundjeri Country and Aṉangu Country through art."
The Naarm/Melbourne mural marks the beginning of a series of anniversary events, which includes VIP Evenings and Guest Q&A's with Bruce Munro at Ayers Rock Resort, and new menus unveiled at Field of Light Dinner and Star Pass experiences, developed using the finest produce from First Nations-owned Creative Native and Cooee Native Ingredients Australia.
The anniversary year also highlights Ayers Rock Resort's growing collection of immersive light and sound experiences.
These include Wintjiri Wiru, a cultural drone and light show created in partnership with Aṉangu that shares a chapter of an ancient creation story, and Sunrise Journeys, a female-led laser and light experience co-created by three Anangu women artists.
"This mural is a powerful way to mark ten years of Field of Light. Valerie and Alex have created something that not only reflects the beauty of the installation at Uluru, but also the depth of story and connection behind it," said chief revenue and marketing officer at Voyages Tourism, Ana Sofia Ayala.
"We're proud to help share this moment with Melbourne and to celebrate the artists who made it possible."
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