A-Lightness-Of-Spirit-Is-The-Measure
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A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness 1 2 Alec Baker A Lightness of Spirit Benita Clements is the Measure of Happiness Vicki Couzens Robert Fielding Australian Centre Jonathan Jones for Contemporary Art Peter Mungkuri Vincent Namatjira 7 July Mr Kunmanara Pompey —16 September Yhonnie Scarce 2018 Peter Waples-Crowe Lisa Waup Kaylene Whiskey Tiger Yaltangki Curator Hannah Presley Contents Foreword 6 Max Delany A Lightness of 10 Spirit is the Measure of Happiness Hannah Presley Installation views 18 Artists 60 The Road Trip 106 Kat Clarke List of works 110 Yalingwa Advisory 114 Group Acknowledgements 120 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this publication contains 6 images of people who have passed away. ACCA is delighted to present A Lightness in a collaboration with participating artists, Foreword of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness which which has been very much in the spirit of the focuses on the significance of family, exhibition title. community and humour in contemporary Max Delany Aboriginal life. The exhibition is composed We are delighted to present ten ambitious of significant new commissions from thirteen new commissions by participating artists, Indigenous artists and brings together created especially for the exhibition. It has voices from across the country in an been an honour and a pleasure to work with exploration of the relations between art, Alec Baker, Benita Clements, Vicki Couzens, life and the everyday. Referencing pop- Robert Fielding, Jonathan Jones, Peter culture and country music icons, queer Mungkuri, Vincent Namatjira, Mr Kunmanara identity and community leadership, as well Pompey, Yhonnie Scarce, Peter Waples- as the legacy of ancestors, the exhibition Crowe, Lisa Waup, Kaylene Whiskey and Tiger acknowledges the importance of Indigenous Yaltangki, and we thank each of them for the communities coming together to share spirit and vitality of their work. knowledge and strengthen identity and connection. Further insights into their practice and cultural contexts are elaborated in newly- A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of commissioned writings by Hannah and Happiness is the inaugural exhibition of the Kat Clarke, and through artists’ responses Yalingwa series, a Victorian Government to a questionnaire that we sent them. The initiative designed to support the questionnaire reprises a format established development of outstanding contemporary by curators Hetti Perkins and Claire Indigenous art and curatorial practice, with a Williamson for the catalogue Blakness: Blak focus on south-east Australian First Nations City Culture!, an earlier landmark exhibition artists within a national context. at ACCA in 1994. Developed as a partnership between We are especially grateful to the Yalingwa Creative Victoria, the Australian Centre for Advisory Group which has been established to Contemporary Art and TarraWarra Museum of guide the development and implementation Art, the Yalingwa initiative encompasses three of the initiative, to ensure that the program distinct program elements over six years: is informed by First Nations people and three two-year professional positions for perspectives. We are fortunate to have had the First Nations curators; a series of three major involvement of N’Arweet Carolyn Briggs, Jacob exhibitions focussing on newly-commissioned Boehme, Genevieve Grieves, Hetti Perkins and work; and three artist fellowships. Elizabeth Liddle – Elders and leading figures within Indigenous cultural communities. It has ‘Yalingwa’ is a Woiwurrung word which refers been a privilege for Victoria Lynn, Director, to both ‘day’ and ‘light’. It is a fitting title TarraWarra Museum of Art, and myself to and concept for the series, referring to our join the group and, along with Hannah, we contemporary time, to light and vision, to the sincerely thank them for the knowledge and light of day, and to the illuminating role that wisdom they have so generously shared. artists play in shining a light on our times. One of the rewarding – albeit challenging The inaugural Yalingwa Curator is Hannah – roles of the Advisory Group has been the Presley, who joined ACCA’s staff in August assessment of the Yalingwa Fellowship – a 2017. It has been a great pleasure to have one-year fellowship for Aboriginal and Torres Hannah on ACCA’s team, and a delight to work Strait Islander visual artists who live and work together. Hannah’s first major assignment in Victoria, valued at $60,000 and intended as has been the development of this first a significant investment in an artist’s career. exhibition in the Yalingwa series, A Lightness We received an especially strong group of of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness, which applications from artists and were moved she has conceived with great commitment, by the opportunity to learn more about their insight and cheer, and a poetic disposition, life, work, contributions and projects for 8 9 the future. The Fellowship recognises the Once again, we would like to thank and contribution that an artist has made to the congratulate the artists for the inspiration development of contemporary art practice and of their work, and curator Hannah Presley First Nations creative and cultural expression, for this thoughtful, timely and joyous and we are especially excited to announce exhibition, delivered with equal measures of Destiny Deacon as the inaugural Yalingwa lightness and spirit. We look forward to the Fellow. As Martin Foley, Minister for Creative public engagement with the exhibition and Industries, noted upon the announcement accompanying education and public programs of the Fellowship: ‘We are thrilled to award with anticipation, and we acknowledge this ground-breaking fellowship to a ground- and welcome the cultural significance and breaking artist – Destiny Deacon – and look transformation that is proposed in the work forward to seeing what she does next.’ and knowledge of First Nations artists, curators and cultural producers, and its We are especially grateful to the Minister, and impact upon the society in which we live. the Victorian Government, for the visionary establishment of the Yalingwa initiative, and for their commitment to placing First Nations art and cultural practice at the heart of our creative state. We would equally like to thank our colleagues at Creative Victoria, and in particular Julie Saylor Briggs, Manager, Aboriginal Partnerships Programs; Jeremy Gaden, Senior Manager, Partnership Programs; and Elizabeth Liddle for her involvement in the early development of the Yalingwa initiative. We also acknowledge Senator Mitch Fifield, federal Minister for Communications and the Arts, for the support of public programs associated with the exhibition through the Indigenous Languages and the Arts program. An exhibition of this scope has involved the contributions and support of many collaborators and community members, art centres and gallerists, to whom we are especially grateful. We are equally grateful to our government partners for their support of ACCA’s programs, our exhibition partners for their commitment to the project, along with our patrons and donors, corporate and media partners, without whom we would not be able to achieve the bold and adventurous nature of ACCA’s programming and vision. Finally, I would like to acknowledge Samantha Vawdrey, Exhibitions Manager, and ACCA’s installation team, for their involvement in the production and presentation of these marvellous new works, along with all of ACCA’s staff for their unwavering dedication, professionalism and esprit de corps. Robert Fielding, Objects of origin 3 2018. Courtesy the artist and Mimili Maku Arts, 10 11 Mimili Community, APY Lands A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of and they see the blessings in what they A Lightness of Spirit Happiness celebrates the everyday lives of have. They tell stories of their fishing Aboriginal people, focusing on the strength and hunting trips, of great romances and and pride we find through connection with funny anecdotes. Their world is full of rich is the Measure family, community and humour. It is important stories, of song lines, of music, of dance.2 to me, as curator, that the exhibition has a Visiting artist Yhonnie Scarce at her glass- sense of exuberance, whimsy, quirkiness and making studio in Adelaide, I sat with her as of Happiness personality as these elements of our lives she led her skilled assistants to create large are sometimes overlooked and not always sculptural yams that were part of a new work prioritised in the contemporary art world and for exhibition overseas. We talked about some Hannah Presley wider public discussion. of the artists we liked and shows we had seen, and how proud she was to be one of It is hoped that when viewing the exhibition, the very few Indigenous women in the world the initial experience is one of lightness and to work with glass. Yhonnie spoke about how joy, but this is not to be mistaken for a lack the pride she takes in her artistic practice is of complexity. As the layers of each work are directly related within herself to the fruits of peeled back they reveal a depth and heaviness her ancestors’ struggles. that we all carry. There are many reasons why we, as Aboriginal people, might have heavy From these early discussions, Yhonnie has spirits. From the dispossession of our lands to created new work that honours her ancestors the stolen children and denial of our cultural directly and personally. In Remembering practices, we deal with daily injustices, Royalty 2018, larger than life portraits of her systemic racism, and we still die many years ancestors hang like religious pennants in younger than the rest of the population. In this the gallery space. Intricate blown-glass gifts exhibition, I aim to convey the pervasive and are presented to each of them; thoughtful, undeniable strength, courage and resilience personal creations that honour their lives. of Australia’s First People by focusing on our Their presence in the gallery is a reminder everyday lives and asking the question: what for us all that our ancestors are guiding and sustains us? supporting us.