Literature in our Collection
(A-L)

Fondation Opale (Hg.): Breath of Life, 5 Continents Edition, Milan 2021, Ausst. Kat., ISBN 9788874399635

Table of Contents        ¦         Cover Text        ¦         Review⁄Abstract

Table of Contents

Georges Petitjean: Breath of Life: An Introduction to an Iconic Musical Instrument -9-

Jeremy Cloake: Yidaki: The Origin of Didjeridu -19-

John Carty: Djalu's Yidaki: Bridge of Sound -27-

Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs: Settling of the Serpent -37-

Artworks -42-

Lexicon -137-

Artists -139-

Biographies -142-

Acknowlegements -145-

Cover Text

Despite its international popularity as a musical instrument, the yidaki, more commonly known as the didjeridu or didgeridoo, remains rather unknown as a means of healing and ceremony. With more than seventy yidaki from various collections, produced between 1950 and 2021, Breath of Life, an exhibition organised by Fondation Opale in partnership with the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, highlights these astonisching objects. Each yidaki, from its first state as a eucalyptus trunk hollowed out by termites, is completely unique. It incarnates a spiritual marker intimately linked to the culture and history of a region and a people from Arnhem Land, in the Australian Northern Territory: the Yonlgu. The Yolngu have been the custodians of the yidaki since time immemorial. Djalu Gurruwiwi, an internationally renowned authority, has a close link with this sacred instrument of which he offers us an immersive overview. From this "sound of origin" the gaze turns to other expressions of Yolngu art and culture. The creations of Gunybi Ganambarr, Malaluba Gumana and Bulthirrirri Wunungmurra describe ancestral sites and the stories associated with them, including those of the Mokuy spirits or of Wititj, the Rainbow Serpent. Through these different artistic representations, Breath of Life celebrates the continual renewal of Yolngu art and the importance of yidaki in Arnhem Land.