Art in the subtropics

Brisbane/Meanjin, the lands of the Turrbal and Jagera people, are not quite tropical, but even in winter, it feels different. The vegetation is wilder, it feels warmer, and when you have a bit of time, it’s lovely to spend it along the river.

The main thing I wanted to do was to see Kith and Kin, an incredibly moving work from a local Queensland indigenous artist, Archie Moore, that was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale two years ago. The names, and blank circles on the wall of Moore’s kin and family were moving, sobering, and uplifting all at the same time. Especially for me, coming, as I do, from a family that loves understanding relationships, cousins, and geneology generally,

There was another fascinating exhibition of local indigenous art on at the gallery, and I was also lucky enough to get a great last minute ticket to Bangarra, Australia’s indigenous dance company (Stephen Page, the original moving force behind Bangarra also comes from here), so indigenous art became the theme of this visit.

The colonisation and indigenous history of the Brisbane/Meanjin area is different to Sydney/Warrane – the conflicts happened later, and are closer to living memory.