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Native Title Business: Contemporary Indigenous Art National Aboriginal Cultural Institute - Tandanya until Sun 13 Nov  I
have been waiting with anticipation for 'Native Title Business' to
arrive at Tandanya - the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. Established
in the year of the tenth anniversary of the Australian High Court
Mabo Decision, this exhibition has been on tour since 2002, and has
finally weaved its way predominantly down the regional east coast
of Australia to its final destination - Adelaide. Dedicated to Eddie
Koiki Mabo (1937-1992), 'Native Title Business' is constituted by
a visual, testimonial reflection of what Native Title engenders for
the participating artists. With more than sixty artists from all states
and the Northern Territory, Curator Joan G Winter has contributed
enormously to political and cultural discussion producing an exhibition
with the main aim of promoting 'understanding and reconciliation on
native title, land and water rights in Australia'. 'Native Title Business' has an additional aim of influence - in that it conceives of the idea that politicians may be encouraged to consider 'more humane, less racist native title and other laws affecting Indigenous Australians' as public opinion becomes more informed about the issues of Native Title. Via the accessibility of contemporary art 'Native Title Business' becomes a catalyst in the reparation process by offering viewers an inroad - sometimes subtle, sometimes potent - to the despicable nature of legalism that has effected past and present Indigenous Australia. With the exhibition comes the involvement of many extremely high profile Indigenous Australian artists including Gordon Bennett, Ian Abdullah, Fiona Foley, Michael Riley, Michael Nelson Jagamarra, Yvonne Koolmatrie and the late Queenie McKenzie. United under the banner of Native Title, exhibited artworks are so diverse in their nature that from an aesthetic point of view, it is a sensory treat. Artworks consist of painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, digital imaging, mixed media and ceramic and convey further diversity in their styles that take on abstract, photo-realist, narrative, allegorical and postmodern approaches to the theme outlined above. However, one cannot simply take aesthetics from this show and leave the theme behind - as the political has become an inherent part of much Indigenous art since settlement some 217 years ago. 'Native Title Business' substantiates this as stories, or rather visual biographies, depict massacres, religion, racism and the environment, amongst other issues, that form a connection to Indigenous lands and homes. Such issues are a direct result of Australia's settler society and offer viewers a plethora of reasons as to why Native Title is an issue of utmost political importance within this country. Wall text also provides a pivotal point of access. Should there be any lack of understanding from the visual material regarding Indigenous rights and interests, the text beside each image portrays an honest summary of the work. Thus there is no way of shirking the issue at hand, not even ignorance will let you pass through this exhibition unscathed. There are countless highlights in this show: Gordon Bennett's Terra Nullius (1989) is certainly one of these. Bennett emphasises that moment in time when British delegates stand around making claim to land while Indigenous figures are juxtaposed insignificantly within the blood-red geometry of the union jack, and their metaphoric dispersal takes place in the upper portion of the painting. With a hint of Lichtenstein, this image references one of the many scenes promoted to mass society; a civilised and celebratory re-enactment of settlement that has essentially concealed elements of truth and accuracy. Bennett uses postmodernist colonial quotation to raise our awareness of the popular fallacy that this was a peaceful event. Gordon Hookey's Terra-ist Act On The Whiteman's Native Title (2002) is another major highlight, which making a chronological leap from Bennett's work to the present, depicts Indigenous vigilantes staging a cultural recovery mission on the lawns of Parliament House, Canberra. Reference to the 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy post-war protest is strong, however in this case John Howard is the protagonist compared with Prime Minister William McMahon who originally rejected land rights demanded by Indigenous and non-Indigenous campaigners. Text forms a major component of this work where Hookey takes an accusatory tone towards the Australian government. This offers so much to think about; it casts our minds back to the landmark Mabo Decision of 1992 and the Wik Decision of 1997. It also induces for me, reminiscence of the Referendum debacle of 1999 and the moving Walk for Reconciliation on Kaurna land in 2000, as well as John Howard's refusal to make a profound apology to Indigenous Australians. 'Native Title Business' is an incredibly engaging exhibition in terms of contemporary art, but also in its call for contemplation and change of Australia's political, cultural and social condition.  |
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