Guests coming to the exhibition opening ceremony enjoy the exhibition. Photo courtesy of Australian Embassy in Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI - Walking Through a Songline – an immersive light projecting installation hosted by the Australian Embassy in Việt Nam – is open to the public at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hà Nội until May 21.

This is the latest exhibition hosted by the Australian Embassy to introduce Australia’s unique and vibrant First Nations cultures to a Vietnamese audience. It is part of the programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Australia-Việt Nam diplomatic relations in 2023.

Before coming to Hà Nội, the exhibition was organised in HCM City from March 31 to April 16 and was well received.

The Australian Government is committed to advancing First Nations peoples and cultures in Australia and overseas. Walking Through a Songline is a touring version of the National Museum of Australia’s (NMA) internationally acclaimed exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, bringing the culture and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to a global audience.

This exhibition follows the track of the Seven Sisters Dreaming across the Western and Central deserts of Australia as a male pursuer chases them.

This Ancestral journey creates songlines, which can be understood as pathways of knowledge about the Indigenous cultural values and how to survive sustainably on this continent, as Australia’s First Nations peoples have for millennia. The stories that these songlines hold form the foundational history of Australia, as told by artists, custodians and traditional owners.

Australia's Ambassador to Việt Nam Andrew Goledzinowski gives opening remarks at the Walking through a Songline exhibition. Photo courtesy of Australian Embassy in Việt Nam

Speaking at the event, Australia’s Ambassador to Việt Nam, Andrew Goledzinowski, said: “One of the Australian Government’s missions is telling the story of Australia to the world. This includes the knowledge and stories of Australia’s First Peoples.

"By bringing Walking Through a Songline here, we are sharing these stories with our friends in Việt Nam. I’m particularly pleased the exhibition is here as part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Việt Nam."

Nguyễn Thị Tuyết, Director of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, who is co-hosting the exhibition in Hà Nội, added: “The exhibition offers a deep exploration into the cultural and historical stories of Australia through a unique digital display. This will be a great gift for the capital's public.”

An explanatory video featuring Margo Neale, Senior Indigenous Curator and Head of Indigenous Knowledge at the National Museum, can be viewed on the Australian Embassy Facebook page.

The exhibition is free to enter and will be open to the public from 8am to 5pm every day till May 21 at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, 36 Lý Thường Kiệt, Hoàn Kiếm District. VNS