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New exhibitions

Team of me Collectors Room Berlin / Olbricht Foundation

Indigenous Australia

Masterworks from the National Gallery of Australia
17 November 2017 – 02 April 2018

The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and me Collectors While paintings form the core of the exhibition, they are
Room Berlin present a survey of significant traditional accompanied by videos, sculptures and installations. The
and modern art by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, collection reflects Aboriginal culture’s deep spirituality in
providing an insight into one of the ‘oldest, richest and its connection to country. The religious mythology of the
most complex’ cultures in the world (Franchesca Cubil- Dreaming holds an important place in many of the works,
lo). ‘Indigenous Australia: Masterworks from the Nation- producing images of intricate patterns belonging to par-
al Gallery of Australia’ opens in Berlin on 17 November. ticular regions while works such as ‘Meeting the White
Man’ (Tommy McRae) remind us that there has been great
The NGA hosts the most extensive collection of Aboriginal upheaval and change for these cultures throughout past
and Torres Strait Islander artwork worldwide. Franchesca and recent history. Some, sensing the ongoing transfor-
Cubillo, NGA Senior Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait mation, used the medium of artistic expression to doc-
Islander Art, aims to further the international recognition ument their people’s ways, preserving them for future
of these multi-faceted creative traditions. generations by portraying mythology and ancient rituals.
Consequently, many of the modern works deal directly
Exploring works from the early 19th cent., ‘Indigenous Aus- with issues arising today in Aboriginal society: Identity,
tralia: Masterworks from the National Gallery of Austral- politics, and sharing the complex history.
ia’ encompasses not only the iconic traditional Indigenous This ongoing process of change is reflected in the ar-
works from these early periods, but also explores the rich rangement of pieces throughout the exhibition. Many
diversity of contemporary practice in Australia right now. early works, showing natural phenomena and the land,

me Collectors Room Berlin, 2010-16 (Auguststr. 68, 10117 Berlin), opening hours: Wed – Mon, 12 – 6 pm, © Bernd Borchardt

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EXPOTIME!, issue October / November 2017