Brisbane, 10 October 2012
“Gestuelles – The Art of Transmission by Aboriginal Desert Women”, a new exhibition organised by the French Alliance in Brisbane, Australia, will take place from 7 November through 5 December 2012. It was organised in collaboration with the IDAIA (International Development for Australian Indigenous Art), the French Alliance in Brisbane and the French Embassy in Australia, in order to promote the role of France in the development and recognition of Australian Aboriginal art.
“Gestuelles” presents works by female painters from the Desert communities, where the emergence of acrylic paint and the comprehension of the feminine role have been greatly encouraged by two prominent French anthropologists: Françoise Dussart in Yuendumu and Barbara Glowczeski in Balgo Hills. The historical bonds between France and Aboriginal art constitute a rich and fertile investigation field, through the works of French anthropologists and ethnologists, their intervention in indigenous artistic communities, the creation of major public collections of Aboriginal art and the exceptional public commission of Aboriginal art for the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. The works displayed, coming from two indigenous historical art centres, Warlukurlandu Artists in Yuendumu and Warlayirti Artists in Balgo hills, explore feminine painting, and feminine gestures of transmission. The pieces displayed were created by young emerging artists as well as established painters such a s international star Judy Watson Napangardi.
“Gestuelles” was first presented in Camberra, the Australian capital, between May and June 2012, notably on occasion of the second edition of the National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery. The exhibition was organised with the light of a major exhibition displayed at the Musée du Quai Branly in October 2012: “Tjukurrtjanu: the Origins of Western Art of the Desert”, come from the National Gallery of Victoria to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movement of acrylic art in indigenous deserts, and of the creation of one of the first indigenous art centres.