Our exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters is a proud exploration of how communities work with museums, not how museums work with communities. It is also a meeting of ancient knowledge and new technology, with appeal to visitors young and old.
Many of the Central and Western desert senior custodians and artists who worked with us over the past seven years joined us for the exhibition opening in Canberra. We also welcomed younger guests, who belong to the generation that the elders hoped would connect with culture, via their engagement with new technology in the exhibition.
![Elderly woman and young woman laughing. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0011/568154/MA63148405-Mitchell-Scales-1200w.jpg)
Anawari Inpiti Mitchell (left) and Sally Scales in the Seven Sisters dome
![Two men in discussion in front of painting. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/568155/MA62929789-Newberry-Taylor-1200w.jpg)
Bernard Newberry (right) and Ignatius Taylor
![A woman speaks into a microphone, while another woman watches on. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0004/568156/MA63146476-Taylor-Kulitja-1200w.jpg)
Ngalangka Nola Taylor (right) and Rene Kulitja
![Three women sitting and discussing woven object. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/568157/MA63125037-Bennett-Annieka-Skinner-1200w.jpg)
Dorcas Bennett (right), Annieka Skinner and Sita McAlpine (centre)
![Women sitting and weaving objects. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0006/568158/MA63124847-Tjanpi-Desert-Weavers-1200.jpg)
Tjanpi Desert Weavers workshop
![Audience watching a performance by a small group of women in traditional costume. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/568160/MA63039287-Rene-Kulitja-Nyangatjatjara-College-1200w.jpg)
Rene Kulitja leads students from Nyangatjatjara College in the Seven Sisters inma (dance)
![Two women holding strands of a woven object. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0009/568161/MA63124277-Rene-Nelson-1200w.jpg)
Artist-in-residence Rene Nelson (left)
![Seated audience with Paul House, Andrea Mason and Pantijiti McKenzie at the front. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0010/568162/MA63036553-House-Mason-McKenzie-1200w.jpg)
Paul House, Andrea Mason (centre) and Pantijiti McKenzie
![Josephine Mick and Pantijiti McKenzie with wooden clap sticks. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0011/568163/MA63044649-Mick-Mckenzie-1200w.jpg)
APY elders Josephine Mick (left) and Pantijiti McKenzie
![Group of women lying on padded surfaces and looking up at a dome with a digital screen. - click to view larger image](https://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/568164/MA63149047-community-members-dome-1200w.jpg)
Community members explore the exhibition dome
Songlines is the result of senior custodians from Martu country, Anangu Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (APY) and Ngaanyatjarra lands working with the National Museum and research partners, to digitise and share the Seven Sisters stories, for compelling preservation and heritage reasons.
Alongside stunning artwork and sculpture, this community-led exhibition includes a state-of-the-art dome, touch screen interactives, projections and an audio journey that give people different ways to connect with songlines. Visitors here for the opening also experienced the Emmy award-winning Collisions virtual reality experience.
The community collaboration continues with our artists-in-residence workshops and demonstrations. The first in the series – with the Tjanpi Desert Weavers – sold out and we are looking forward to welcoming artists from three other groups represented in the exhibition.