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Tarnanthi 2020

Tarnanthi 2020

Shedding new light on contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art

Balanda:: Non-Aboriginal person; The name used to refer to people of European descent, but it can also refer to any non-Aboriginal person. It is a loan word from the Makassarese language Hollander and was used by the visiting Macassan trepang fishermen to refer to the Dutch. Evidence of Macassan visits to Arnhem Land go back to the 17th century.
Barrangkarl :: A type of riparian grass; A type of riparian grass that grows by the margins of billabongs and watercourses.

Tarnanthi is an annual celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and a flagship program of the Art Gallery of South Australia. Its format alternates between a statewide festival in one year and a major focus exhibition the following year. Since its inception in 2015, Tarnanthi has placed particular emphasis on the agency of artists and on foregrounding the artist’s voice. It is a rare showcase for the nuanced complexity and radical ingenuity of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, reflecting the strength of First Nations cultures across Australia today.

In 2020, Tarnanthi will involve an inspiring focus exhibition highlighting the work of senior women artists whose work includes passing on vital cultural knowledge to young women as the future leaders of their communities. As a significant artist-led project, this exhibition of works in diverse media promises to deliver the richness of content and depth of substance that have been the hallmark of Tarnanthi’s earlier focus exhibitions, such as John Mawurndjul: I am the old and the new in 2017 and Riverland: Yvonne Koolmatrie in 2015.

During Tarnanthi, AGSA will also host an extensive array of talks, tours, performances, workshops, creative activities and student programs. The Studio will also adopt a theme emphasising a feature of the exhibition.

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

Principal Partner

BHP

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