Parrtjima – A Festival in Light is a First Nations-led celebration of culture, Country and storytelling through the medium of light, set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Australia’s Red Centre, Mparntwe/Alice Springs. It’s an all-ages event that is wholesome and authentic, and Parrtjima does this while remaining true to its mission of fostering greater understanding of First Nations culture.
For its 10th anniversary, Parrtjima brings new innovations as well as old favourites. The grounds of the Alice Springs Desert Park were already alive with crowds at 6pm on opening night (4 April) and, once the official ceremony kicked off, children and adults alike rushed to experience the handful of light, video and installation wonders this year’s Parrtjima has to offer.
A centrepiece is Grounded, where paintings by artists including Dalery Pula Bredd (Barkly Regional Arts) and Francis Marshall (Ikuntji Artists) are projected onto the red sand, inviting interaction. The crowd favourite has children chasing after seeds of the Emu Bush erupting under their feet, or being swept away by intergenerational stories told through colours and patterns.
Another work that uses sand as its canvas and equally captivating is the Sand Painting installation, with video storytelling as well as stations for hands-on activity. It’s a place where traditions are passed down, and new stories are in the making. Sand and light make for a harmonious pairing, and you can’t help but turn your attention to how these elements play out in the natural landscape.
The MacDonnell Ranges Light Display, which runs every 15 minutes, is a Parrtjima signature and delivers joy and wonder time again. While this may not be the most complex light show, the view of the Ranges and the awe of your fellow young audiences simply make up for it, creating an overall heartwarming experience.
A more contemporary expression can be found in the work of Balanggarra and Yolŋu artist Molly Hunt, who banded with actor and composer Mark Coles Smith (aka Kalaji) to create the animation, Three Generations of Station Women. A journey of strength and love slowly unfolds across two large screens, building a flourishing world.
What is significant about Parrtjima for artists is that it gives the opportunity to transcend familiar mediums, taking artworks from the two-dimensional plane to the three-dimensional, static to in motion. The work that has undergone the most dazzling transformation is Bobby Tjupurrula West’s painting, Palipalintja, presented as an installation of light and shadow, aptly titled Hypnotic Reverberations. The densely packed lines that depict Palipalintja, a significant site of ritual, are translated into a similarly patterned steel cylinder that projects light through its carved crevices, playing with perception and negative space.
Parrtjima is certainly an event like no other, especially in a place that can see its ‘problems’ so oversimplified in mainstream media, and at a time when First Nations people are regaining their strength after disappointing political outcomes. It’s a festival that gives not only joy, but also hope. Market stalls, empowering talks, workshops and music round out a plethora of offerings on top of the light display, with something different on every night.
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Sitting on the bleachers watching kids play freely – in a way that would be considered hazardous in a gallery space – this writer started contemplating who they will grow up to be and the world they will have to face. But regardless, they’ll remember playing in the red sands that came alive with colour.
Parrtjima is on now until 13 April; free, registrations required.
This writer travelled to Alice Springs as a guest of NT Major Events Company, presenter of Parrtjima.
