Arts On Country

 
Image: Michael Doolan

 
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT)

The Gallery of Indigenous Art in MAGNT introduces many of the different stylistic traditions of Aboriginal art that exist in the Northern Territory and includes both classic and innovative artworks. This is a good place to see the wide variety of Indigenous visual arts. The gallery display represents a cross section of the permanent collections with paintings, works on paper and three dimensional items.

Image: Major Prize Winner. Makinti Napanangku

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award

In August each year the Telstra NATSIAA’s are held in the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the Award. The Award is open to all adult Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander artists and showcases the very best Australian Indigenous art from around the country. The NATSIAA Exhibition will be on show from Friday 15 August - Sunday 26 October 2008 with a ceremonial opening ceremony on the evening of Friday 15 August 2008 when the artists receive their prizes, with Indigenous dancing and music.

Image: Wukidi Poles. Image courtesy the artists & Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre, Yirrkala. Click image for artists’ details.

 
Image: Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula
Mitukatjirri Men & Tjikari Men – Spear Fight at Ilyingaungau 1990. Acrylic on linen, 2410 x 1830 mm. Donated by Law Society of NT, 1991

Image copyright Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula & courtesy Papunya Tula Artists. 

Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

The Supreme Court has an outstanding collection of Northern Territory-inspired art, by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, displayed on Levels 2 & 4 of the building.  Significant art works in the Court foyer (Level 2) include a painting by Pintupi artist Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula (Mitukatjirri Men & Tjikari Men – Spear Fight at Ilyingaungau 1990), a group of nine memorial poles/painted sculptures by a group of senior Yolngu artists donated to the Court in 2003, and a glass floor mosaic created by Melbourne Mural Studio artisans Joe Attard and David Jack, based on Warlpiri artist Norah Napaljarri Nelson’s painting Yiwarra Jukurrpa - Milky Way Dreaming 1990-91.

Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula was one of the founders of the Western Desert acrylic painting movement at Papunya in the early 1970s and Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists between 1985 and 1995.  Mitukatjirri Men & Tjikari Men – Spear Fight at Ilyingaungau 1990 was first exhibited in the Australian Pavilion of the Venice Biennale by Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in 1990, and later borrowed by the Art Gallery of NSW for the landmark exhibition, Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius in 2000.  It represents the artist’s distant ancestors at the site of Ilyingaungau, a rocky outcrop far to the west of Alice Springs, who engaged in a ceremonial battle with another desert tribe during the Dreaming.  The parallel bands depict the spears engaged in combat during this battle.

The Yolngu memorial poles/larrakitj commemorate Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda, a senior Yolngu law and ceremonial man from north east Arnhem Land who in 1933 was convicted of murdering a policeman (Constable McColl) in the Northern Territory.  His conviction was subsequently quashed by the High Court who also ordered his safe passage back to north east Arnhem Land.  Wirrpanda was released from Fannie Bay Gaol but was never seen again.  A special Wukidi ceremony was held by the Yolngu on 28 June 2003 at the Supreme Court, during which the nine memorial poles were unveiled and presented as symbols of remembrance and healing.  The ceremony liberated Dhakiyarr’s spirit and cleansed those involved in both deaths in an act of reconciliation.

“It was really special for Dhakiyarr’s family and also a remembrance of Dhakiyarr. As you seen today, all the senior and young people came in today to view Dhakiyarr’s ceremony. It was a really strong ceremony.” Senior Leader Djambawa Marawili

The largest work of art in the building (and one of the first to be installed in situ) is a 7.5m sq floor mosaic based on the painting Yiwarra Jukurrpa - Milky Way Dreaming by Norah Napaljarri Nelson. An interesting series of photographs showing the installation of the 700,000 piece Venetian glass mosaic is located at the entrance to the coffee shop on level 2, and the painting itself hangs on the western wall of Level 4. From the atrium on Level 4, one can gain an excellent "birds-eye" view of the mosaic. 

The Darwin Festival

Held in a number of venues around the city in August each year, reflects the Indigenous, Asian and Pacific cultures of the region. Its Indigenous content usually includes a program of intimate performance of traditional Indigenous dance and song, the open air Galuku Gallery under the stars in the Botanical Gardens, and some of the best contemporary Aboriginal musicians in concert. Larrakia traditional land owners guide visitors through the many art galleries exhibiting Indigenous art on a Gallery Bus Tour.