Burdi Burdi

Life moves quickly. Burdi Burdi (Fire Fire) is an invitation to slow down — to linger with sound, language and memory as they flicker across place and time.

Adapted from Dr Christian Thompson AO’s 2021 series New Gold Mountain and  inspired by Thompson’s late grandmother, Harriet Woods, the work reflects on their shared Southern Chinese Gold rush heritage. In Chinese culture, the colour red signifies joy, celebration, vitality, luck, and good fortune. It’s commonly associated with important events like weddings and Lunar New Year, where red lanterns, outfits and envelopes are used to evoke these positive sentiments. Red is also linked to the element of fire, symbolising renewal and, Burdi Burdi, in Bidjara means fire. A merging of two parts of Thompson’s heritage.

Reimagined along the Evan Walker Bridge, this sonic installation transforms a pedestrian crossing into a space for quiet reflection. Themes of fire and gold carry deep resonance: gold, a symbol of wealth and migration, and fire, the spark of resilience passed between generations.