Canoe down the Birrarung, yoga at the Gallery and more
Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070 is a new NGV exhibition that invites eight leading Australian landscape architecture and design firms to reimagine the lands and waters of the Birrarung (Yarra River) and create an exciting vision for how communities can better access, engage with and care for this important living ecosystem.
During August and September, NGV and Principle Partner BUPA will co-present a series of programs alongside the exhibition, designed to get people out and about by moving their bodies outdoors and along the Birrarung. This coincides with Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge, encouraging people to take 6,000 or more steps a day across September. The more steps people take, the more funding BUPA will invest in community partner programs to restore and regenerate urban environments.
On Sunday 1 September from 8.00AM – 9.30AM enjoy Yoga at the Gallery at NGV International.
NGV will host a somatic yoga and meditation session facilitated by Melbourne-based artist and practitioner Shannon May Powell in the NGV Garden. This event offers a serene environment for participants to gently move their body and reflect on the Birrarung, from its historical significance to its current state and future possibilities.
Founder and co-director of wellbeing organisation Small Beyond, Shannon May Powell, is a published author, artist and embodiment practitioner. Book now
Usually only freely accessible in the summer months, for one weekend only, visitors can walk a floating bridge from Como Landing to Herring Island on the 7th and 8th of September to immerse themselves in the nature of the Birrarung. Herring Island is a small artificial island located on the Birrarung in the heart of Melbourne. Visitors can enjoy walking trails, public art installations, and the natural environment across the weekend.
Join the Friends of Herring Island for a Planting Day on 7th September from 10 am – 1 pm, where visitors will help plant native vegetation to enhance the island’s natural beauty and support local wildlife.
Visitors can walk the floating bridge to Herring Island and enjoy a picnic undercover or in the open air on 8 September from 11 am – 2 pm. Throughout the day, visitors are encouraged to explore the walking trails of the island to get their steps up and explore the unique art installations on display on Herring Island.
Herring Island details and bookings may be found here
Connect with the Birrarung by taking a unique canoe tour led by Derek Cook from social enterprise Up the Creek on 14 September from 10 am to 12:30 pm or 1 pm to 4 pm. Take to the water for a firsthand exploration of the Birrarung, from the city precinct to the river’s source in the Yarra Ranges.
As participants paddle along the river the tour guides will provide insights into the environmental, cultural, and social significance of the river, highlighting its historical importance to Indigenous communities and its evolving role in the urban landscape.
The tour will connect past, present, and future, offering a comprehensive understanding of the river’s journey. NGV’s Senior Curator Contemporary Art, Architecture and Design Ewan McEoin will offer insights into the imagined outcomes for the river presented in the Reimagining Birrarung exhibition. Book here
On 28 September from 10 am – 11:30 am, take a walk along the Birrarung with Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Ian Hunter and Derek Cook from social enterprise Up the Creek to learn about the state and the history of the river through the eyes of its custodians and advocates. The walk will commence at Sparks Reserve in Ivanhoe and the group will wander the Darebin trail past golf courses and over the Birrarung to Willsmere in Kew. Book here
Scheduled to coincide with World Rivers Day, the NGV will host a symposium on 22 September from 9:15 am – 12 pm with leading landscape designers and architects will explore how knowledge systems climate change, policy, emerging technologies, and design might influence or enhance our relationship with the Birrarung over the next five decades.
Speakers including Kirsten Bauer from ASPECTstudios, Mark Jacques from Openwork, Sarah Hicks from Bush Projects, Steve Mintern and Simon Robinson from OFFICE, Lisa Howard from TCL and Miranda Wilkinson from McGregor Coxall will present both speculative and real-world solutions for the future management of the river. The symposium will be moderated by NGV curators Ewan McEoin and Gemma Savio. Book now
Yoga at the Gallery, image courtesy of NGV, 2018