2017 - Living in their times

Living in Their Times was an exhibition which reflected on the lineage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination and activism that both preceded and followed the landmark 1967 Referendum, in which Australians voted to formally remove passages from the Australian constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal people. Curated by Djon Mundine OAM, the program activated several sites across the UTS campus with diverse stories.

The program included a restaging of Bungaree’s Farm, an immersive three channel video installation reflecting on the life of Bungaree, an important Aboriginal figure in colonial Australia and the first person to be referred to as an ‘Australian’. First staged at Mosman Art Gallery in 2015, this unique collaborative project led by Djon Mundine OAM explored the legacy of Bungaree through contributions by contemporary Indigenous artists including Daniel Boyd, Jason Wing, Peter McKenzie, Leanne Tobin, Amala Groom, BLAK Douglas (Adam Hill), Leah Flanagan, Sandy Woods, Chantelle Woods, Caroline Oakley, Bjorn Stewart, Karla Dickens and Warwick Keen.

The special screening of Bungaree’s Farm was accompanied by a film program of shorts, documentaries and features curated by filmmaker and programmer Pauline Clague. This film selection delves deeper into the diverse lives and times of Aboriginal people in the fight for self-determination and the continuation of sovereignty, and included work by Darlene Johnson.

Mundine also curated a display of works by the late Robert Campbell Jnr. (1944-1993), whose work captured his experience of discrimination growing up and living in the mid-North Coast region of New South Wales. In Campbell Jnr’s own words, ‘I paint about things that touch me personally – whatever has happened in my lifetime … When we were on the mission the old people were not allowed to talk the lingo – not allowed to teach us, they were too afraid they would be sent away.’ These important works were displayed alongside an installation inspired by Campbell Jnr.’s uniquely stylised human figures, creating a monumental presence in the central foyer of the UTS Tower building.

Sourced Via UTS: https://art.uts.edu.au/index.php/projects/living-in-their-times-2/