- 'Spinifex People: Art and stories from Pila Nguru' exhibition opens at WA Museum Boola Bardip
- A modern story with ancient origins that explores the creativity and resilience of a unique Aboriginal community
- Most significant exhibition of this unique work, anywhere in the world
'Spinifex People: Art and stories from Pila Nguru'exhibition is a modern story with ancient origins, celebrating the creativity and resilience of a unique Aboriginal community through their art, images and voices.
Featuring a stunning array of artworks, objects, digital projections and film, the exhibition transports visitors into the world of the Spinifex People. Visitors will experience the Spinifex People's enduring connection to Country and their ancestral lands through breathtaking art that embodies the power of the landscape and the stories of their Ancestors.
For thousands of years, the Spinifex People lived in a land that few outsiders saw and even today, few would know about.In the first decades of the 20th century, developments around the fringes of Spinifex Country brought the outside world closer in a dramatic way. From the mid-1950s, British atomic bomb testing at Maralinga led to the removal of almost all the Spinifex People from their homelands.
Visitors can view poignant pieces of artwork, including those which represent their displacement during the testing, and the pivotal works that contributed to the community's successful Native Title Determination in 2000.
'Spinifex People: Art and stories from Pila Nguru'celebrates an enduring link between the Spinifex People and their land, and a story of displacement followed by reclamation, highlighting an art practice that continues to thrive. This exhibition is produced by the WA Museum with the generous support and advice of the Spinifex Arts Project and the Spinifex Artists.
The exhibition is included with general admission and is on show at WA Museum Boola Bardip from 5 December 2024 - 4 May 2025.
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
"As we continue the journey towards reconciliation, it is important to understand the lives, histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
"Through this exhibition, I have developed a deep understanding of the customs, traditions and laws of the Spinifex People, but more importantly, their enduring connection to the land from which they come.
"I was particularly impressed by the way the Spinifex Art Project has evolved to encompass film and digital art, engaging the next generation of artists in the ancient art of storytelling in a way that will ensure their history endures for years to come."
As stated by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"This is a very special exhibition that tells the story of the Spinifex People through their art and cultural practices.
"I encourage everyone with an interest in Aboriginal art and history to visit the WA Museum and see this exhibition for themselves."
