Reconciliation Action Plan

Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Innovate: Reconciliation Action Plan January 2022 – January 2024 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Content Warning We ask that care and discretion be exercised in using this document as it contains items of high cultural sensitivity, including the names and/or images of the deceased, reproduced here with permission. Contact us We welcome your feedback on QAGOMA’s Innovate: Reconciliation Action Plan. Please visit qagoma.qld.gov.au or contact reconciliation@qagoma.qld.gov.au for further information. QAGOMA Indigenous Advisory Panel Panel Avril Quaill (Nunukul tribe), Chair Nancy Bamaga (Thabu/Samu clan) Dr Bianca Beetson (Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples) Helena Gulash (Kabi Kabi people) Louisa Warren (Badulgal people) David Williams (Wakka Wakka people) Advisor to the Panel Michael Aird Staff representatives Chris Saines CNZM, Director Simon Elliott, Deputy Director, Collection and Exhibitions Katina Davidson, Curator, Indigenous Australian Art (Kullilli and Yuggera peoples) Sophia Sambono, Associate Curator, Indigenous Australian Art (Jingili people) Leah King-Smith , Bigambul people / Untitled 1 (from ‘Patterns of connection’ series) 1991 / Purchased 1993. John Darnell Bequest / © Leah King-Smith/Copyright Agency, 2022 QAGOMA Management Board of Trustees Professor Emeritus Ian O’Connor AC, Chair Liz Pidgeon, Deputy Chair Dr Bianca Beetson (Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples) The Honourable Justice Martin Daubney AM Gina Fairfax Catherine Sinclair Paul Taylor Executive Management Team Chris Saines CNZM, Director Tarragh Cunningham, Assistant Director, Development and Commercial Services Simon Elliott, Deputy Director, Collection and Exhibitions Duane Lucas, Assistant Director, Operations and Governance Simon Wright, Assistant Director, Learning and Public Engagement © Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees, 2022 This work is copyright and all rights are reserved. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 , no part may be reproduced or communicated to the public in any form or by any process without prior written permission from the publisher. No illustration in this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the copyright owners. Copyright in all artworks in this publication is held by the artists, their representatives or estates. All artworks in this publication are in the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Collection unless otherwise indicated. COVER ARTWORK Tony Albert is one of Queensland’s most celebrated contemporary Aboriginal artists. Born in Girramay Country in the northern Queensland town of Cardwell, his mixed-media practice engages with cultural, historical and political Australian histories and the representation — and misrepresentation — of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Moving the line 2018 is comprised of hundreds of individually cut, folded, sculpted or painted vintage playing cards. Through careful manipulation and placement, multiple narratives emerge along the lines of interrogation evident throughout Albert’s practice: alienation, racism, optimism, language, and a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicepeople and their stories. Each time the work is viewed, different elements and new narratives appear, inviting multiple viewings and extended examination. ‘Moving the line’ is a gambling term relating to the point at which odds are determined and the factors that can alter or move this point. The uneven nature of gambling, with many factors outside the game that can influence its outcome, echoes the social experiences of Indigenous peoples in Australia. Moving the line 2018 relates to the constantly shifting challenges and odds that First Australians frequently need to navigate and overcome. Albert’s optimistic and empowering practice illustrates his own efforts to ‘move the line’ in favour of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. PRODUCTION CREDITS RAP ‘Champion’: Simon Elliott, Deputy Director, Collection and Exhibitions Project Coordinator: Grace Fraser, A/Project Assistant, Exhibitions Management Editing: Stephanie Kennard, A/Editor Design: Jenna Hoskin, Senior Graphic Designer and Hayden Roberts, Graphic Designer, QAGOMA, with motifs by intern Tenisha Rose Solomon, guided by freelance graphic designer Jenna Lee (formerly of Gilimbaa). MOTIFS The fluid forms of Tenisha Rose Solomon’s motifs for the Vision, People, Journey, Relationships, Respect and Opportunities elements in this document draw out the connection between the bends of the Brisbane River, ripples on the QAG Watermall, and the smooth pebbles present in QAGOMA’s built environments. The forms represent the coming together of equals; reconciliation as an ongoing path we must all keep walking; the creation of solid foundations for the future; and a vision that flows ever outward from the initial spark, beyond intentions and into the world. Their colours were inspired by the land, water and diversity of cultures of the area, with textures inspired by QAGOMA and its surrounds. ‘Vintage playing cards have always interested me . . . Aside from their diverse imagery, I am drawn to the hierarchy of the monarchy represented on the back. When you are playing cards, there are also the mitigating factors of skill, knowledge and luck: you don’t need to have been dealt the best hand to win.’ Tony Albert Cover and above: Tony Albert , Girramay/Yidinyji/Kuku Yalanji peoples / Moving the line (and detail) 2018 / Commissioned 2018 with funds from the Future Collective through the QAGOMA Foundation / © Tony Albert