A Book Without Words was created within a learning process that considered Indigenous perspectives on Sovereignty, Decolonisation and Country in the context of the subject 87831 VC Design Studio: Visual Communication Design and Emergent Practices in Faculty of Design Architecture and Built Environment (DAB) University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Spring 2018. This project is part of a student learning experience and is not a professional design outcome. According to the intent of the subject the project should be understood within an educational context. The designs can be shared by the student to demonstrate the ongoing learning experience but are not for public display by exhibition, web-based platform or otherwise without obtaining adequate permissions.
Listen here: https://vimeo.com/298075796
Dadirri is a word of the Ngangikurungkurr people around the Daly River in the Northern Territory that refers to the contemplative practice of deep listening (Atkinson, J
2002). It is about patience and freedom from judgement – feeling and noticing the smallest things in your surroundings without discriminating what may be seen as insignificant – and is practised through the First Nations of Australia. The Gamilaraay people, in south-east Australia, have winangargurri (literally listening deeply); peoples in Central Queensland have yimbanyiara (listening to elders) (Atkinson, J 2002). As such, listening is an integral part of Indigenous culture, as part of learning, showing respect and meditating.
2002). It is about patience and freedom from judgement – feeling and noticing the smallest things in your surroundings without discriminating what may be seen as insignificant – and is practised through the First Nations of Australia. The Gamilaraay people, in south-east Australia, have winangargurri (literally listening deeply); peoples in Central Queensland have yimbanyiara (listening to elders) (Atkinson, J 2002). As such, listening is an integral part of Indigenous culture, as part of learning, showing respect and meditating.
A Book Without Words aims to invite readers into a contemplative space and engage with personal reflections on dadirri. It engages with aural, visual and tactile senses to create an intimate and immersive experience. The notion of writing from the Western perspective of the absolute is subverted through the act of recording which brings the fluidity of intonation and ambient sounds. The layering of negative space encourages readers to step into the central space and interpret their surroundings, within the book and outside of it.
