Emirates Takes Australian Aboriginal Art To The World

Emirates is now showcasing Australian Aboriginal culture to passengers globally, with the first ever international screening of the Australian documentary ‘The Message Stick’ being shown on the airline’s award-winning ice Digital Widescreen inflight entertainment system.

‘The Message Stick’ follows the story of a 1961 ex-army vehicle that was transformed into a modern-day message-stick as it travelled to Aboriginal communities around Australia. By the end of the journey, the vehicle had been painted on by over 150 traditional Aboriginal artists, re-enacting a 50,000 year-old story of traditional message sticks that were taken around Australia on foot by young Aboriginal warriors.

Michael Butler, Director of The Message Stick, explained, “The Message Stick vehicle has become a modern Dreamtime story, and through the documentary’s screening on Emirates’ ice Digital Widescreen, the message of peace and reconciliation can be shared with the world.”

This unique vehicle is a “one of a kind” piece of art and has now been exhibited in 5 major museums in Australia showcasing the diversity of different styles of Aboriginal art. The significant elders in the film are continuing to preserve what has been passed down to them from generation to generation through self-determination.

[Pictured above is The Message Stick vehicle with the Gubbi Gubbi Dancers and Samantha Martin and Michael Butler, Directors of ‘The Message Stick’]

Samantha Martin, Production Manager of The Message Stick and a traditional Gidga Woman from the Kimberley’s in Western Australia said, “As a collaborative work of art, my view would be that this traditional and contemporary painted vehicle is a cross between a sculpture and an installation. Art spanning two mediums. Ultimately it’s a piece of cultural history for the world to experience.

Stephen Pearse, Emirates’ Vice President Australia said “Emirates is proud to support this inspirational documentary and showing it onboard our flights is a reflection of Emirates’ own diverse workforce from more than 100 different nationalities and how we assimilate this diversity into our own philosophy. The screening of ‘The Message Stick’ continues our commitment to showcase the very best in inflight entertainment, and further shows our involvement with the Australian community. “

Emirates’ ice Digital Widescreen system offers more than 1000 channels of movies, music, television, games and programs in English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese and other languages. Passengers can create their own music play-lists, view digital photographs, use SMS and email.

Emirates is leading the way when it comes to inflight technology. Just last month, Emirates announced it will be investing US$27 million to fit its fleet with the AeroMobile system, allowing customers to use their own mobile phones inflight. The AeroMobile system ensures that passenger’s mobile phones operate at their absolute minimum power, thereby allowing their safe use on the aircraft. 

The service will only be activated when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and the cabin crew will have full control over the system, including the ability to prevent voice calls at certain times, such as during night flights. The number of calls that may be made at any one time is also limited to a maximum of five or six calls, the same number as for the current in-seat phones used regularly by Emirates’ passengers. 

According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is today – Human, Animal, Bird and Fish is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced to the great spirit ancestors of the Dreamtime.

http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/culture/dreamtime2.html

A report by the Mole