Kim Wandin,
iuk bagurrk gunga, 2023
Wurundjeri artist and Elder Kim Wandin's sculpture iuk bagurrk gunga, meaning ‘eel women catch’, is an eight-metre-long bronze eel trap located in the moat of NGV International on St Kilda Road. The second artwork in our partnership commission series is a tribute to the history of Wurundjeri women, their tradition of weaving, and their relationship with the short-finned eel.
Artist’s statement
This work honours women and the role they played in weaving and catching eels to provide for family. It is based on a bundled coil technique which was taught by my Nana Ollie. Its form holds the essence of those eel traps made by my ancestors. Its reflective surface symbolises their strength and resilience, and its sinuous form, their flexibility to adapt, as an eel trap adapts to the flow of the water.
Short-finned eels journey from fresh to salt water, and then the young return to fresh water from salt water. The trap also honours their extraordinary journey and life cycle. It also acknowledges the precious nature of Birrarung’s waterways. Water flows through the trap like our ancestral spirit flowing through our lives.
Eel traps are a wonderful example of simple effective sustainable technology that served First Nations people for thousands of years. This eel trap captures the essence of a sustainable lifestyle as practiced by my ancestors and acts as a reminder that they are always present guiding me.
This work also honours family, who are forever important.
This eel trap is a statement of survival, we are still here.
About the artist
Aunty Kim Wandin is a Wurundjeri Elder of the Woiwurrung language group. She has lived and worked on Country in Healesville, Victoria, her entire life. Her traditional basket-making has been handed down to her from her grandmother, great-grandmother and ancestors.
Aunty Kim’s work represents a significant cultural position within the south-east of Victoria as part of an important group of arts practitioners. Her work adheres to and references traditional cultural practices. As a leading Aboriginal artist, Aunty Kim explores contemporary genres that both enhance and complement her basketry and fibre pieces. Her work speaks of space, texture and light, while referencing notions of movement. As an Elder, she advocates for strengthening culture and sharing her knowledge.