Taking Tarnanthi to France

In 2019 the president of the regional council of Brittany in France, Loïg Chesnais-Girard, visited Adelaide.

Upon visiting the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), he was struck by a monumental three-panelled painting called A Sister’s Story by the five Ken sisters, of the APY Lands, and their mother, Paniny Mick.

Nici Cumpston OAM, Artistic Director for AGSA’s Festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, said it had an immediate effect on the President.

‘He was experiencing something for the very first time – contemporary Aboriginal art – the newest art from the world’s oldest people,’ Nici said.

‘A spark was lit and the Breton exhibition began at that very moment, with the determination that the French would too have this experience of awe and revelation.’

The Breton exhibition Nici refers to is of new works by artists from the APY Lands of South Australia to be shown at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rennes, Brittany.

The exhibition, titled Kulata Tjuta (Many Spears) opens 16 October.

The works are a selection from Tarnanthi, a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia to share their stories. Their work is displayed through an annual exhibition, an art fair, artist talks, performances and events.

Initiated in 2015 and curated by Nici, the Tarnanthi festival boasts the work of approximately 4000 artists who are supported by AGSA to make new work and exhibit their art in Adelaide.

Since it began, the festival has engaged with 1.3 million visitors. $3.4 million has been generated in sales at the art fair with all money going directly to artists and art centres.

Since 2015, more than 23,000 students and teachers have experienced Tarnanthi as part of their school studies.

‘Tarnanthi has been transformative – offering a path to reconciliation and a window into the oldest continuous cultures on earth, Nici said.

‘Tarnanthi has not only developed skills and prospects for scores of First Nations artists and their communities, it has also gained momentum, building trust, respect and confidence that unites artists and their audiences across cultural divides.’

The festival features different themes each year, a product of conversations Nici has with artists and communities at the time.

‘This way of working means that no two Tarnanthi offerings are the same. Tarnanthi is driven by the guiding principles: Let the artist’s voice shine; Open mind and open heart; Challenge perceptions; Artistic excellence; Grow, share, respect,’ Nici said.

The French exhibition features work by 34 artists including paintings, photography and sculpture.

‘COVID-19 has made touring propositions rather challenging and we are currently exploring ways in which we can take Tarnanthi to the world including a touring program of moving image works,’ Nici said.

‘In ten years’ time, we hope that Tarnanthi will continue to be appreciated, and valued by national and international audiences building understanding of Australian Indigenous art and culture, the oldest continuing culture on earth.’