For a ten-day period Parrtjima projected over Alice Spring’s Desert Park, home of the Arrernte People, an array of contemporary works by talented Aboriginal artists from the Central Australian Desert.
The highlights of this second edition of Parrtjima included a breathtaking illumination of a 300-million-year-old natural canvas, the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, with a series of new installations. There was also a festival Knowledge program involving Aboriginal artists from the Central Desert region.
Parrtjima curator and renowned First Nations creative director Rhoda Roberts OA said the festival showcased the oldest continuous culture on earth and put the magnificent Aboriginal art and culture of Central Australia on centre stage.
"The festival provided an opportunity to bring together senior Aboriginal artists in Alice Springs and shine new light on their vibrant artwork to inspire visitors to learn more about the rich culture of the central desert," says Roberts.
Throughout the festival artists continued to paint images of country, keeping knowledge alive for future generations.
"Organisers were thrilled to deepen the experience for visitors through the new Festival Knowledge Program," says Roberts.
"Which offers visitors the chance to meet the artists, hear their stories and learn about their art-making.
"Parrtjima shows how Aboriginal people are ever-adapting.
"We are an ever-evolving culture - think about the original sand paintings which were developed for canvas and became known around the world as dot paintings, then they were made into textiles and now we have them in lights.
"The most important thing is that we do continue to tell those stories.
"A light festival also enables us to show a bit of our quirkiness, our humour and it doesn’t always have to be worthy.
"We do have fun as well. I can see this event becoming an annual pilgrimage in this region."
Andrew Hopper, the General Manager of the Northern Territory major events company also stresses the importance of Parrtjima as a platform to showcase Central Desert artists' work and culture.
"It is also about engaging local business and how can we give them the ability to develop capability and also opportunities to bring new equipment here in the centre of the country; and making it available to the broader Northern Territory as well," he says.
"So, at a local level it does a lot.
"I think for Territorians, it allows them to find out what an amazing culture they have in this part of the world."
Arrernte artist Patricia Ansell Dodd believes Parrtjima is the best thing she has ever seen.
She is especially delighted by the way this modern light is shone on Mount Gillard, projecting her paintings on the ground.
"I never thought that my paintings would be lit up in light just like that. I was just so happy to see that."
Patricia Ansell Dodd says, "It is quite different from what we are used to."
"So to share our culture in this way and to advertise who we are; and that our culture is still strong.
"I think all the Arrernte people who are involved would be very happy of what they are seeing.
"Most of the people that have been involved in the committee here are very happy about what is happening.
"We’ve been involved in it and we are sharing our culture in our own country. For us that is very important today to promote our culture and our art work in such a way.
"Our artwork is not just the painting, it is culture - and that is more important than anything else.”
"It is also important for our young people to learn and be proud to be an Aboriginal person in this area.
"I think it is one of the best things.
"I feel very proud to be an Arrernte person here today.
"I never thought that my paintings would be lit up in light just like that. I was just so happy to see that.
"We must promote ourselves in our own way telling it in our artwork.
"Our artwork is not just the painting, it is culture - and that is more important than anything else.”
