Didar: Activating Exhibition Spaces With Diaspora Communities In Melbourne

Figures & data

Figure 1. Hossein Rabiei and his calligraphy panel in exhibition space, 2022.

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Rachel* Pen Portrait

‘The music took me back to a time in my childhood when the old men sang in Urdu and Dari in Broken Hill where our mosque was built’ Rachel is of Afghan/Aboriginal heritage, and they are currently based in Melbourne completing a degree in health science. The musical performance and the manuscripts surrounding the space took Rachel back to their childhood. They recalled how the Qur’ans belonging to the Afghan community were left out in the elements to rot in Broken Hill to be rescued by a small group which included their grandfather. Later, the mosque was restored and became a repository for the rescued Qur’ans. Rachel laments that the chain of knowledge and religious practice that made the Qur’anic texts meaningful is lost to the community. The pages of the Qur’ans that were thrown outside the mosque are now kept and cared for in the mosque, but the community is having to tap into outside expertise to identify provenance and interpret the texts. The manuscripts in the exhibition instil a sense of being in the presence of something profound in Rachel even though they do not understand the text or practise the religion.

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Fari* Pen Portrait

Fari is in her early 30s and has been in Australia for only two weeks. Whilst they did not disclose the conditions of their departure from Iran, there was a hint that it wasn’t entirely voluntary. The name Didar stood out for them in the invitation, and they came with the expectation to ‘see people of my country’. They talk about their love of Iran and their family. The performances made them ‘feel better in Australia’ and evoked a lot of strong emotions. Fari sat in both sessions of the event, tears streaming from their eyes throughout the musical performance.

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Gail* Pen Portrait

Gail is a conservator, artist, book-maker of Anglo-Celtic background. They were prompted to come to the event after discussing Rumi in their Zen/Sufi group. What stood out for Gail was being introduced to a different notion of time and rhythm through the music. The architecture of Persian music felt distinctively different and didn’t flow as expected. Being jolted out of their habitual listening experience and exposure to a language they couldn’t understand (Farsi) forced Gail to be present at the moment. They reflected on the experience which offered a perspective about how non-English speakers feel most of the time in Australia. For Gail, the event fostered a sense of empathy and connection to the experience of the immigrant communities.

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Arad* Pen Portrait

Arad works in Information Technology and comes from a French/Turkish background. They are not on social media, so heard about the event from friends who had seen it online. Arad felt that each aspect of the event helped to deliver the same thing/message. The music, singing, poetry, and manuscripts each evoked the same feelings/connection to cultural heritage but from different perspectives. The pieces felt immersive and in harmony with each other. It was ‘a whole experience’. Everything was connected and reflected in each component. All the masters coming together—one whole integrated.