The Aboriginal Memorial 30th Anniversary Symposium
Conference overview | Program (pdf) | Speaker Abstracts(pdf) | Speakers bios (pdf)
This symposium examines the ongoing significance of The Aboriginal Memorial (1987–1988)
Time : 9.30am to 4.30pm
Venue : James O Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery of Australia
Price : $135, $110 NGA Members/concession
This two-day symposium examines the ongoing significance of The Aboriginal Memorial (1987–1988) and its context within contemporary art, Yolngu culture and creative practices, as well as relation to recent memorials from across Australia and internationally.
This nationally significant work of art and was curated by Djon Mundine OAM in 1988 and represents a forest of souls commemorating all the Indigenous people who, since 1788, have lost their lives defending their land. This event will focus on the memorial's past and ongoing significance, as well as the intergenerational trauma that it embodies.
Keynote addresses by Fiona Foley and David Garneau. Roundtable discussions with Djon Mundine OAM and senior Ramingining men Roy Burnyila Malibirr and Bobby Bununnggurr, and a Director’s Roundtable chaired by Brenda L. Croft.
Symposium Conveners
Djon Mundine OAM, independent curator and conceptual producer of The Aboriginal Memorial (1987–1988)
Franchesca Cubillo , Senior Curator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, National Gallery of Australia
Professor Ian McLean , Hugh Ramsay Chair in Australian Art History, University of Melbourne
Professor Mark Ledbury , Power Professor of Art History and Visual Culture, Director of the Power Institute, The University of Sydney
See more about The Aboriginal Memorial