By ALANA MITCHELSON
An “extreme arts” Mountain to Mouth walk returns to Geelong next month with a series of art installations featured along the route.
The biannual 80 kilometre walk begins at the You Yangs before crossing Geelong’s industrial heartland at nightfall before participants arrive in the city centre to coincide with a Geelong After Dark festival.
At dawn the following day the walk follows a Barwon River track to reach the river mouth by sunset, with 12 art installations by local artists along the way.
Artistic director Meme McDonald said her involvement in Mountain to Mouth had been the highlight of her career.
“Community groups carry a five-metre long canoe throughout the two-day walk.
“It’s very unique in that it’s created for the event and burnt at the end of the journey,” Ms McDonald said.
“The idea revolves around the concept of our lives being a mere moment in time. Our lives are short and at the end we have to give it all up.”
Ms McDonald explained how the event had themes entwining the region’s environment, indigenous heritage and artistic endeavour.
“The long-term vision for the Mountain to Mouth event is to connect the community to the land through art and to offer people a fresh perspective on their city.”
The walk will be broken up with three major ceremonies – Gathering of the Elders; Gathering of the City; and Gathering of the Elements.
At the final destination of the walk participants will reach a Lone Feather art installation which is crafted from paper and cane.
A creation story performance will tell the legend of a swan’s fallen feathers helping people find their way.
Ms McDonald said that walking between each installation would act as a “songline”; a way of navigating across country and using song and art to express the land along the way.
“It’s an amazing rich heritage that we have in Australia,” she said.
“We have so much to gain from a traditional understanding of the land.”
The walk is open to all with participants able to walk the full distance or one or more stages.
Mountain to Mouth runs from 6 to 7 May.
