Reclaim the Void

Reclaim the Void was born from Ngalia elders in Leonora, Western Australia, expressing their pain and grief at ‘those gaping mining holes left all over our Country’. The idea was conceived to symbolically seal one of the holes with an artwork expressing the story of Country.

The vision is to cover a mining pit with a large-scale ‘dot’ artwork made up of thousands of hand made circular rag-rugs woven from discarded fabric. The rugs are woven by people from all walks of life and backgrounds, to be joined together into a giant textile artwork which shows an overall pattern that carries the story of the Tjukurrpa of the country on which the pit is situated. The project carries the desire for healing country, healing community, and healing ourselves. It is about acknowledging the hurt and contributing to restoration. It offers people the chance to learn about Country and culture. 

The highlight of the project to date has been the creation or rugs from all across Australia and around the world. Students from more than 110 schools in Western Australia have contributed to the project by making rugs to be included in the project.