Arnhembrand - Living on Healthy Country, Space Gallery, Sydney, NSW
6th - 27th July 2017
Arnhembrand supported by Macquarie Group, aimed to raise national and global awareness of the work undertaken by the Djelk Indigenous communities living in west Arnhem Land to preserve their unique culture and ecology. It was an independent art, science and stories project with the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust and Djelk clans which used new mediums and technologies to highlight the critical relationship that the Djelk clans have with their land and to tell their positive story to a wider audience in fresh and exciting ways. The Arnhembrand collection includes paintings, video works and a commissioned woven mat created by a diverse group of Bininj artists and in addition artworks by Balanda artists; Mandy Martin, David Leece and Alexander Boynes.
The purchase of the Bininj artwork for the archive and book royalties have contributed income for the community. The archive, consisting of stories collected through digital, fi lmed, oral, written and painted testimony, provides a clear and important record of all aspects of the project. The archive will be acquired by the Center for Art + Environment, Nevada Museum of Art. This is one of few institutions that collects art and environmental projects from all over the world and maintains this material through the work of dedicated librarians and staff for posterity.
