Tarnanthi 2019 Media Portal

The largest festival of its kind, Tarnanthi 2019, will feature over 1000 artists from the length and breadth of the continent, with exhibitions at the Art Gallery of South Australia and close to 30 partner venues, as well as an art fair showcasing hundreds of artists from around the country.

The word ‘Tarnanthi’ (pronounced TAR-nan-dee) comes from the language of the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains. It means to come forth or appear – like the sun and the first emergence of light. Tarnanthi presents the forefront of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from across the country and provides an energised platform for artists to share important stories as new light is shed on their practice.

Tarnanthi 2015 - 2019 at a glance

  • 3,827 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have exhibited their work at AGSA and partner venues as part of Tarnanthi
  • Over 1.2 million people have attended Tarnanthi exhibitions and events since 2015
  • $62.97 million of economic expenditure has been generated
  • 20,000+ people visited the Tarnanthi Art Fair, generating close to $3.5 million in sales
  • 1,500+ artists from across Australia have been represented at the Tarnanthi Art Fair

"Tarnanthi continues to bring people together in a spirit of mutual respect, shared understanding and most of all, the pleasure of seeing such skilfully and thoughtfully made art." - The Advertiser

"Tarnanthi is… a deeply thoughtful and provocative collection of works. Like all great exhibitions, it’s an invitation to broaden your perspective." – Broadsheet

"Tarnanthi maps diverse Indigenous art practice across the continent and blurs the lines between urban and remote, traditional and contemporary." ABC Radio National

Tarnanthi Opening Weekend Program

What's On - Tarnanthi 2019

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Videos

Download Tarnanthi Videos through Vimeo
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Government of South Australia, Department of the Premer and Cabinet through Arts South Australia.
Brian Robinson, Kala Lagaw Ya/Wuthathi people, Cape York Peninsula, Torres Strait Islands, Queensland born 1973, Waiben (Thursday Island), Queensland Empyreal: A Place and a Path in the Sky and on the Earth, 2019, Cairns, Queensland linocut, black ink on paper © Brian Robinson/Mossenson Galleries photo: Michael Marzik
Judy Napangardi Watson, Warlpiri people, Northern Territory, born c.1925, Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station, Yuendumu, Northern Territory, died 2016, Karnta Jukurrpa (Women's Dreaming), 1996, Yuendumu, Northern Territory, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 91.0 x 46.0 cm; Flinders University Art Museum Collection 3142, © Judy Napangardi Watson/ Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, photo: Flinders University Art Museum.

Key Dates
Tarnanthi Launch | 6pm Thursday 17 October 2-10, AGSA Forecourt, North Tce | FREE
Tarnanthi Art Fair | 18-20 October 2019 | FREE ENTRY
Tarnanthi | 18 October 2019 – 27 January 2020 | FREE ENTRY

Tarnanthi at a glance | 2015 - 2019

  • 3,827 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have exhibited their work at AGSA and partner venues
  • Tarnanthi attendances to date expected to exceed 1 million at the close of the exhibition.
  • $62.97 million of economic expenditure has been generated
  • 20,000+ people visited the Tarnanthi Art Fair, generating close to $3.5 million in sales
  • 1,500+ artists from across Australia have been represented at the Tarnanthi Art Fair

Tarnanthi is presented in partnership with BHP and with the support of the Government of South Australia.

Media contacts:

Lindsay Ferris, Head of Communications, Art Gallery of South Australia
Ferris.Lindsay@artgallery.sa.gov.au | +61 8 8207 7156 | +61 405 046 116