I have just returned from a journey that I used to undertake for a month each year before the pandemic changed things. I have just arrived back from Brisbane, Queensland and a month of hot sunshine, sometimes just a bit too hot!
It has, of course been so good to be able to give real hugs, instead of virtual ones to my Brisbane family, my son and daughter-in-law plus my three, now teenage, or almost teen , grandchildren and, not forgetting, Marmalade, the cat.
It has been so good to be back in ‘my other home’, with its beaches with sky-vista views of combining every imaginable shade of blue, and then some, as well as those grandious and spectacular hills, such as the Glasshouse mountains. And I must also acknowledge other favourite places like such as the Brisbane museums and innovative art galleries. I even got to meet Brisbane’s first and only permanent snowman.
But this January I got to share some other special Stories in the Landscape.
While I was in Brisbane, I got to meet up with Professor Patrick Nunn who shared a Story in the Landscape’ conversation with me back in September. Over a leisurely lunch, we shared news and stories from both hemispheres and even plans for future ‘conversations’.
I also met up with Clare Milledge who exhibited at the Sydney Biennale in 2022. I had been disapointed not to have been able to get to Sydney between March and June last year, so I was delighted to be invited to the launch of the new exhibition in Brisbane, based on the work earlier presented in Sydney. It was great to finally be able to experience the installation first hand.
So, towards the end of January, I joined her for the opening of her installation, ‘A Well at the Bottom of the Sea’ inspired by the story of Sinann, at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane. .Clare and I had linked up for a ‘Story at the Landscape’ conversation‘ last May so It was great to meet up with Clare in person and we were able to talk about her work as an artist as well as future projects.
The exhibition at the Institute of Modern Art Brisbane:
Selected works from the 23rd Biennale of Sydney: Rīvus
Maluw Adhil Urngu Padanu Mamuy Moesik (Legends from the deep sitting peacefully on the waters)
This exhibition deserves further posts. Besides the Clare’s installation, I have added a gallery page to describe this in more detail, there is inspiration from of several other artists that I would like to share.
Ther exhibition has some very relevant stories to relate including those told by the the Torres Strait 8. This group of Islanders have won a historic legal fight against the Australian Government for inaction on climate change. For more information on the exhibition and this landmark decision
Follow the link for more about the Torres Strait 8.
In the words of The Morrigan ‘Is this not a story worth the telling?
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