Stunning artworks from Western Australian Aboriginal artists will adorn the façade of the new WA Museum in two dynamic digital installations.
Two large digital screens – one at the Museum’s main entrance, and the other, a long ‘ribbon’ screen – will feature artworks by Aboriginal artists from around WA.
The $1.6 million public art program is being curated by the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub WA (AACHWA) and will be delivered over the next four years. It involves both existing works and new commissions, including works created specifically for the Museum screens and others that are created independently and digitised for display.
This novel approach to a public art program will ensure that over a hundred Aboriginal artists are featured and will benefit from the Museum’s public art program for years.
The initial program, which will run for 12 months, will feature two bodies of work. On the large Museum Street screen, works from the State collection held by the Art Gallery of Western Australia will be featured. At the same time, the digital ‘ribbon’ on Francis Street will feature works from this year’s Revealed exhibition, which was shown online due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Museum’s public art opening program features works by nearly 100 artists from all regions of WA. They have been curated by AACHWA and digitally produced by well-known video artist Sohan Ariel Hayes, working with emerging artist, Aboriginal filmmaker and editor, Jeremy Thomson.
The opening program includes works by renowned artists such as Shane Pickett, Laurel Nannup, Mervyn Street and Sonia Kurrarra as well as emerging artists such as Wendy Hubert, Nathan Thomas, Margaret Anderson and Peter Farmer Jnr, to name a few.
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
“The WA Museum Boola Bardip public art program features a dynamic and changing display of works by Aboriginal artists from around Western Australia. It has been commissioned as an annual program that will continue to showcase the extraordinary and diverse works being produced right here in this State.
“Public art contributes to our understanding and appreciation of our cultural and natural heritage, enhancing our built environment and creating more meaningful public spaces. It is fitting that the public art for the Museum represents all regions of our State, shared through the perspectives of Western Australian Aboriginal communities.
“This is a novel approach to public art which is exciting and inclusive. Instead of a single artist creating a piece that stands in perpetuity, this initiative will ensure hundreds of Aboriginal artists will be featured and, of course, will benefit financially. This is particularly important when both artists, and regional Western Australians have been doing it tough due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
