Sarah St Vincent Welch #151 Ekphrastic - Fiona Hall - Manuhiri (Travellers) 2014-15

photo of Manuhiri (Travellers) 2014-15 driftwood from Waiapu River, Aoteoroa New Zealand, collected 2010-14: 

103 parts Judith Neilson Collection exhibited Fiona Hall Wrong Way Time 

From the Venice Biennale, National Gallery of Australia  22 April-10 July 2016

driftwood clock, what time spins your wheel?  

teeth, bone, driftwood creatures, travellers of Awanui

you float in Waiapau, landslip of clouds of sediment

waves cast the travellers back to your open mouth

you are washed washed, gathered up collected placed

travel to an island city, canals and gondolas

travel in an artist’s case, to the inland city

gatekeepers unpack you name you

smile at Customs together, the artist watched ...

you are sundial, moon calendar

shadow fingers of the sun curl around you

driftwood creatures

you are the geminids before dawn

new constellations in the death wheel

the swell and rise of tides carved your limbs

your harried masks, ever

running fighting surprised in your last moment

whale kahawai snake worm

dugong dolphin lizard

unicorn raven seal rat

otter mongoose weta horse

tiger teradactyl swan

sparrow deer rooster eel

fang and bone and fin

coil of squid curl of possum
foetus