project history |
current & Future exhibitions |
From 24th March to 30th September 2016 the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco housed the Australia: Defending the Oceans at the Heart of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art exhibition, which was one of three exhibitions making up the “Taba Naba – Australia, Oceania, Arts of the Sea People” exhibition.
This exhibition was ground-breaking in that it was the largest display of contemporary Australian Indigenous sculpture, including the emerging medium of ghost-net weaving, to go overseas. The exhibition featured over 50 artworks from five different remote communities: Darnley Island (Erub), Pormpuraaw, Badu Island, Ceduna, Cardwell (Girringun). Key artists included: Alick Tipoti, Dr. Ken Thaiday Snr., Sid Bruce Short Joe and Brian Robinson. The exhibition attracted well over 500,000 attendees throughout that period and garnered over $250,000 (AUD) in artwork sales. |
As a direct result of the "Taba Naba" exhibition, in 2017 through to 2020 multiple opportunities have since arisen for works from the Australia: Defending the Oceans project to be toured throughout several venues in continental Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Components of the project have been featured at the Paris Aquarium for the Coral Reefs: Heart of Life exhibition, the Ethnographic Museum of Geneva for the L'effet boomerang exhibition, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York City initially for The Oceans Conference 2017. Future exhibition in different components was then on display in 2017 at the University of Virginia (USA) in partnership with the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Prospects of a 2020-onward programme is currently under development. |
Stéphane Jacob
Project Manager & Senior Curator Stéphane is a French art dealer and art consultant who specialises in traditional & contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander art. He is the director of Arts a'Australie which is based in Paris, France. www.artsdaustralie.com |
Suzanne O'Connell
Project Coordinator & Associate Curator Suzanne is an Australian art dealer who specialises in contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander art. She is the director of the Suzanne O'Connell Gallery based in Brisbane, Australia. www.suzanneoconnell.com |