National Indigenous Art Triennial
The National Indigenous Art Triennial was developed to celebrate First Nations art and perspectives This permanent event in the Australian and international art calendar would present a highly considered, current and diverse, snapshot of Australian and Torres Strait Islander Contemporary Indigenous art practice.
Each exhibition was by a new curator every three years, accompanied by a substantial catalogue featuring an essay by the Curator on the exhibitions’ theme, and information about each artist and their practice, from a diverse group of writers - from public institutions and independent curators; academics; art centre representatives, artist’s, arts‑workers; and freelance writers.
Artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori with her painting Nyinyilki 2009 at the launch of unDisclosed
Since the Triennial’s inception in 2007, more than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have had their work presented at the National Gallery, with many works from the exhibitions being acquired for the national collection.
Ramingining artists, The Aboriginal Memorial 1987-88, NGA
Dennis Nona, Yarwarr 2007, NGA; Vernon Ah Kee, not an animal or a plant 2006, Courtesy of the artist and Bellas Milani Gallery; Danie Mellor, The contrivance of a vintage Wonderland (A magnificent flight of curious fancy for science buffs, a china ark of seductive whimsy, a divinely ordered special attraction, upheld in multifariousness) - Installation 2007, Courtesy of the artist
Richard Bell, Big brush stroke 2005, NGA; Richard Bell, Australian Art It's An Aboriginal thing 2006, TarraWarra Museum of Art; Richard Bell, Psalm singing 2007, NGA
Ramingining artists, The Aboriginal Memorial 1987-88, NGA
The inaugural Triennial, Culture Warriors, was held in 2007 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum which provided inspiration for the thematic context for both the curator and the artists.
Curated by Brenda L. Croft, Gurindji, Malngin, Mudburra peoples from the Victoria River Region, Northern Territory, the exhibition brought together the works of 30 contemporary artists from every Australian state and territory, and included painting on canvas and bark, hollow-logs, weavings, sculpture, digital media, photo-media, print-making and installation work.
The exhibition went on to tour Australia and then to Katzen Arts Center, Washington DC.
The second National Indigenous Art Triennial - unDisclosed, curated by Carly Lane, Kalkadoon people from north Queensland, was held in 2012. The exhibition’s theme, unDisclosed, alluded to the spoken and the unspoken, the known and the unknown, and what can be revealed and what cannot.
It presented the dynamic visual expression of 20 contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, all demonstrating a commitment to excellence, while daring to explore new fields of practice and artistic vision. Artists who both informed and redefined contemporary Indigenous art as we knew it.
Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Narrbongs 2010, Courtesy of the artist; Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Three Rivers Country 2010, Museum of Contemporary Art
Tony Albert, Pay Attention 2009-10, Private collection
Brian Robinson, Picasso’s Lagau Minaral (Picasso's island designs) 2016, Courtesy of the artist; Brian Robinson, Custodian of the Blooms 2014, NGA
Reko Rennie, OA_RR 2016, Courtesy of the Artist and Black art projects
The third Triennial Defying Empire in 2017 brought together the works of 30 contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the country, and into the national spotlight.
Curated by Tina Baum, Larrakia, Waradaman, Karajarri peoples of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, it explored identity, racism, displacement, Country, nuclear testing, sovereignty, and the Stolen Generations – through a wide range of traditional and contemporary media.