Indigenous art takes centre stage at GOMA

The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is staging the largest exhibition of contemporary Indigenous Australian art in its history, officially opened by Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts Ian Walker today (1 June).

Mr Walker said My Country, I Still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia featured more than 300 art works from the QAGOMA collection by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

“It’s a big show, taking up the entire ground floor of GOMA, and looks at the associations Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have with country as both the ‘land’ and the ‘nation’,” Mr Walker said.

“It includes painting, sculpture, fibre art, prints, photography, installation and video art.

“More than 45 Queensland artists feature, including Vernon Ah Kee, Vincent Serico, Judy Watson, Archie Moore, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarrnda Sally Gabori, Richard Bell, Tony Albert, Destiny Deacon, Fiona Foley and Christian Thompson.”

The free exhibition was launched with a public celebration including talks and an ‘Up Late’ with performances by Archie Roach and The Medics.  

Other unique features include a major cinema program and a Children’s Art Centre project by Queensland artist Gordon Hookey. There are also two major new works commissioned for the exhibition by Reko Rennie and Queensland artist Megan Cope.

Mr Walker congratulated Bruce McLean, curator of Indigenous Australian Art, who curated the exhibition.

The Newman Government is proud to support the exhibition with financial assistance from the Backing Indigenous Arts initiative.

My Country, I Still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia is open until 7 October. For more information go to www.qagoma.qld.gov.au

[ENDS] 1 June 1 2013

Media Contact:     Alexandria Bernard     0417 252 563