Yapakna: The Koorie Family
15 September 2005
“Our families are our support network. Our families are the centre of our world. Without the support of our families we would never have survived the past and could not survive the present”.
“Yakapna: The Koorie Family”, a photographic essay from the Koorie Heritage Trust collection, will be exhibited at the Shepparton Art Gallery from 22 September to 30 October 2005.
The essay was first published in The Australian (‘Images and Essays’) and was developed in collaboration with researcher Tracey Johnson and the Koorie Heritage Trust.
Two hundred years of oppression by the dominant culture has highlighted and strengthened some unique features in Koorie families. It has also caused major disruptions to the fundamental family structure. Koorie families and communities are now made up of a mixture of people who identify strongly with the lands of their ancestors. Most importantly, the strength of family connections has remained.
Through these images and stories, this exhibition is an opportunity for the viewer to get an insight into Koorie family life, traditions and culture and relate to it through their own family experiences.
The Koorie Heritage Trust aims to ‘bridge the cultural gap’ within communities.
Koorie Heritage Trust, 295 King Street, Melbourne. Tel: (03) 8622 2600
The Shepparton Art Gallery is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Community Support Fund, and through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.
Transitions: 3500 – 4106
15 September 2005
A new exhibition titled Transitions: 3500 – 4106 is opening at the Shepparton Art Gallery on 22 September.
The exhibition depicts the journey that artist Giuseppe Filardo has taken over the last five years, beginning in 2000 when Giuseppe left Melbourne and relocated to north west country Victoria (Mildura). It then progresses to where he currently lives in Rocklea, Brisbane.
Mildura was a very inspiring and influential place for Giuseppe – it gave birth to many of his paintings, sculptures, installations and collaborations. These works have inspired and affected his new work, Transitions: 3500 – 4106, where the memories of them are resurrected and depicted in a new way.
The work is about leaving the country town and relocating to Rocklea in South Brisbane. It’s about the experiences once had in the Mildura region that he misses very much, like the old friends and acquaintances, the river, landscape, activities, work, isolation and daily routines. Mildura is a place true to his heart that he refers to as a mini suburbia.
For this work Giuseppe has used a continuous line of fencing wire. This wire is completely covered with clothing and other relevant items that are associated with his journey. The final continual piece is expected to be over fifty meters in length. The whole piece is contained within a suitcase. This suitcase will be placed onto a white plinth from which the work will flow out of the case and onto the floor. It will then climb the walls while starting to form various shapes and forms that have been taken from past exhibitions. The works travel around the room until reaching the suitcase again, ready for the next journey.
The exhibition continues until 30 October 2005.
The Shepparton Art Gallery is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Community Support Fund, and through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.