What if language began in the body?
Acclaimed choreographer Annalouise Paul makes her contemporary art debut at Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre, drawing on more than fifteen years of research through her interdisciplinary project Mother Tongue®.
At its heart is Primordial (2026), a newly commissioned dance film presented within a spiral-shaped architectural installation. As audiences move through the work, shifting perspectives reveal an unfolding choreography of movement, sound, image and space.
For Paul, dance is a mother tongue. Through movement, rhythm, geometry and technology, Uncharted Waters. The Journey of Mother Tongue explores the languages that shape how we relate to one another and the world around us. Drawing on the geometric forms of the grid, triangle and spiral, the exhibition reflects on different ways of understanding our place within social, cultural and natural environments.
Inviting audiences to enter the spiral rather than observe from a distance, Uncharted Waters. The Journey of Mother Tongue blurs the boundaries between choreography, architecture and participation, creating an immersive experience to be watched, walked and felt.
Presented by Greater Dandenong City Council.
Exhibition Dates: 9 September – 14 November 2026, Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre, Open 11am – 3pm, Wednesday to Saturday
Image credit: Annalouise Paul, Mother Tongue, 2014. Pilot presentation. Courtesy of the artist. Photography by Shane Rozario.
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