On Country: presence, past and future

Peta Clancy is a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people whose family relocated to Wurundjeri Country in Naarm, North Melbourne two generations ago. On Country: presence, past and future explores the agency of Country and photography, examining access to Country and private land ownership. The photographs evoke multiple perspectives, timeframes, and complex histories, encompassing loss, resilience, and cultural memory, expressing the idea of Country as an archive. The works are created through a performative, immersive and embodied process in collaboration with Country. Featured projects include brungergalk ba birrarung (2023), depicting the junction of the Brungergalk (Watts River) and Birrarung (Yarra River) on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country in Healesville, Victoria, and birrarung/kurrum ba birrarung/dirrabeen (2024), exploring prevented access to the confluence of Birrarung (Yarra River) and Dirrabeen (Darebin Creek) due to private land ownership.