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songlines - the dream



At the dawn of creation, as the world was young and unformed, the ancestors of the Aboriginal People raised themselves from the EARTH, wandered the world and created the land.

Ever since this dream time, native Aboriginal People continue to traverse the Australian continent. The rules which governed the ancestors of the world in the dream time still apply today. For generations they have been memorised and passed on verbally. A culture has been established whose foundations have been based for more than 40,000 years on living in harmony with nature and, in so doing, ensuring its continuance.

Songlines, which since primeval times have been used by the Aboriginal People as signposts on their journeys across the enormous land, play an important role. They hold all the required information for a destination to be reached. The whole of Australia is covered with an invisible web of these paths.

In April and May 2007 I crossed the continent for this Terragraphy-project on the Stuart-Highway from Port Augusta in the South to Darwin in the North.
On route and with the approval and help of the Aboriginal People, I collected SOIL from sites of special meaning and with stories which the families and clans living there feel represent them.

It was a massive challange to find the right people in the huge land in the time I had. It became quickly clear, that my plan to traverse a SONGLINE with a guardian of the land and collect SOIL from this path, was going to be impossible to realize.
Fortunately I met many open minded  and helpful people, who trusted my vision and gave generously  from their sacred EARTH. At some sites however, it was not possible to convince the trustees of my ideas. I respected this position and waived taking SOIL from these sites.

Nevertheless, I was able to collect SOIL from seven of the 150 different indigenous folk still existing in Australia today.
The finished Earth Art Works visualize their culture without touching or harming them. Indeed the work allows only a glimpse of the varied parts of the project, but gives an idea of the wealth of culture of these people.