The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and the National Museum of Australia (NMA) launched exhibitions last week to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 referendum, Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial and A Change is Gonna Come, respectively.
Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial, on show at the NGA until Sunday 10 September, presents works by 30 established, mid-career and emerging contemporary Indigenous artists from across the country. The exhibition traverses various themes within the overarching context of defiance—from first contact, through to the 1967 referendum, and ongoing activism today.
Defying Empire features at least three works from each artist, making it the NGA’s biggest survey of Australian Indigenous practice. Works include painting on canvas and bark, weaving and sculpture, video, prints, photography, metalwork, glasswork and more.
Inspired by the 1964 civil rights song of the same name, A Change is Gonna Come invites visitors to consider the 1967 referendum and the 1992 Mabo decision within the context of their time, through events that led to and followed these significant moments.
Explore some of the objects linked to key people and milestone events in Indigenous activism in Australia and learn more about key events that tell the story of and provide context for Indigenous rights activism and protest in Australia.
A Change is Gonna Come is on show at the NMA until Tuesday 30 January 2018.
Visit the National Gallery of Australia and the National Museum of Australia’s websites for more information on these exhibitions.
Image: Pedro Wonaeamirri
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra