The acclaimed Australian First Nations exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters will open at the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site Museum in New Delhi on 22 November 2025. Organized by the National Museum of Australia in partnership with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), the exhibition marks the first major Australian cultural showcase to tour India.
The exhibition presents the epic creation story of the Seven Sisters, a foundational narrative in Aboriginal Australian culture. Spanning nearly 300 paintings, objects, multimedia installations, song, dance, and photography, Songlines traces the journey of ancestral female beings pursued by a powerful sorcerer across the Australian deserts. The story is told through the lens of tjukurrpa, or Aboriginal Law, and highlights the deep connection between Indigenous knowledge, landscape, and cultural practice.
This is the fifth international stop for Songlines, following successful runs in Canberra, Perth, Plymouth (UK), Berlin, Paris, and Finland. The exhibition is notable for its scale and immersive technology, including the world’s highest resolution travelling DomeLab, which transports visitors beneath a 7-metre-wide domed ceiling to experience animated rock art and celestial movements from remote Australian sites.
The project was initiated by Anangu traditional custodians to preserve and share the Seven Sisters songlines, which traverse the lands of the APY (Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara), Ngaanyatjarra, and Martu peoples. Over seven years, Indigenous elders, knowledge holders, and younger community members collaborated with curators to document and present the story through art, film, and oral histories. All research materials are archived in the Aboriginal-managed Aṟa Irititja in Alice Springs.
The exhibition has received international recognition, including the Best in Show award at the 2018 Australian Museums and Galleries National Awards. In India, it will be on display until 1 March 2026, offering audiences a rare opportunity to engage with one of the world’s oldest living cultures.
Kiran Nadar, Founder and Chairperson of KNMA, described the exhibition as a milestone in cross-cultural dialogue, emphasizing the museum’s commitment to public engagement and the celebration of shared human heritage. The National Museum of Australia and KNMA aim to foster deeper understanding of Indigenous Australian culture and strengthen artistic ties between Australia and India.
Cover Image: Traditional Owners of Cave Hill (Seven Sisters) 2017 by Brenda Douglas, Tjala Arts National Museum of Australia © the artist/Copyright Agency 2020. Image: Brenda Douglas
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
