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Spirit CountryContemporary Art, Ancient Tradition
Spirit Country, touring Japan as part of Ancient Future, Australian Arts Festival Japan 2003 and the Echigo Tsumari Triennial 2003, will captivate audiences with its seductive colors and patterns. The artworks are profoundly spiritual and provide an insight to the deep relationship to the land that Aboriginal peoples have developed over the past 40,000 years. A highlight of the exhibition will be a sand painting at Niigata by two Arnhem Land artists, Richard Birrinbirrin and Neville Gulaygulay. Sand painting is traditionally made as a portal to the spirit world. Using four tons of white river sand, the artists will make one of their totems related to the Bomngu waterhole. The sand painting will be the first three dimensional Aboriginal work seen in Japan. The artists will play the didgeridoo and hold a final 'smoking' ceremony when the painting is completed. The exhibition is drawn from the Gantner Myer Collection, recently presented to the Melbourne Museum. This Collection was originally formed over a four year period by Australian art patrons, Carrillo Gantner and Bailleiu Myer, with assistance from Neilma Gantner and curator Jennifer Isaacs. Spirit Country also draws upon works from the Melbourne Museum collection. Spirit Country is part of the Australia-Japan Art Exhibitions Program, an initiative of Asialink and the Australia Japan Foundation. It is further supported by the Australia Council of the Arts and the Australia International Cultural Council and the Australian Embassy, Tokyo. | event details | event schedule | artist index | Media Inquiries: Australian Embassy Public Diplomacy Section  |
Spirit Country is a visual tour de force that celebrates the diverse and distinctive art of Australia's Aboriginal peoples. The exhibition is one of the most significant collections in the world of contemporary Aboriginal art, and comes to Japan after a successful tour of the United States.
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