Exhibitions Archive: 1997-2007 | Exhibition Guidelines | Contact
Exhibitions: 2008
Bennelong's River to Darug Insights
15 July - 23 August
Joint exhibition to be held in Macquarie University Library and Macquarie University Art Gallery. Prepared by curator and historian Keith Vincent Smith, in collaboration with photographer Effy Alexakis, curator Rhonda Davis from Macquarie University Art Gallery, and Robin Walsh from the Macquarie University Library.
The exhibition Bennelong's River River to Darug Insights will be divided into two sections:
Bennelong's River [in Macquarie University Library]
will utilise images held in various national and international collections [such as the Natural History Museum, London] as well as utilising materials located from the Rare Book Collection of Macquarie University Library and will provide a historical overview of the indigenous history of the region and its links to key individuals such as Bennelong who lived and died in the Ryde district near the Parramatta River in 1812.Dharug Insights [in Macquarie University Art Gallery]
will display a selection of artworks by contemporary indigenous artists exploring the historical and cultural legacies of Darug creativity.
Bennelong's River to Darug Insights explores the artery of the Parramatta River, from Memel (Goat Island) to Parramatta, as it twists like the burra (eel) that gives the river its name. The exhibition evokes the presence of the Aboriginal people of the three clans (gal) - Wallumedegal, Wangal and Burramattagal - whose lives revolved around its waters.
Woollarawarre Bennelong, who sailed from Sydney to England in 1792 with Governor Arthur Phillip, was born a Wangal on the south bank of the Parramatta River and is buried in Wallumedegal territory on its north side at Ryde.
Macquarie University stands in what was once the country of the Wallumedegal; a name derived from wallumai, the snapper fish and matta, a word used to describe a water place. Today, many of us live, work and study in this region.
The visual strands of this local history are embedded in the physicality, naming and realisation of place. A visual dialogue emerges in which time, place, spaces of the past and present begin to merge and co-exist. These temporal effects unfold to provide a reinterpretation of Bennelong's historical presence overlapped by Darug connections to this land-and-water place.
The vestiges and markings of place surveyed in Bennelongs River to Darug Insights brings cultural discourse together with historical narrative that is critical to our understanding of the connection between place and people.
A rich visual story flows between two exhibition spaces, acknowledging the river clans. It is based on a diverse range of sources and media: historical images, documents, rare books from the University Library, on-site fieldwork, artefacts, contemporary photographs, art work and film.
In the past two decades Keith Vincent Smith has devoted himself to researching early Australian European/Indigenous contact history. He has published major biographical studies of indigenous leaders: Bennelong [Bennelong: the coming in of the Eora: Sydney Cove 1788-1792. publ. 2001], Bungaree [King Bungaree: a Sydney Aborigine meets the great South Pacific explorers, 1799-1830. publ. 1992], and local area studies [Wallumedegal: an Aboriginal history of Ryde. publ. 2005]. In 2006 Keith curated a major exhibition at the State Library of NSW entitled Eora: mapping Aboriginal Sydney, 1770-1850. Now Keith Smith will present some of his latest findings, with a focus upon the historical links between Bennelong, the Parramatta River and the Ryde district.
13 May - 21 May
Mexico: Shades in the Distance. Seeking an Identity
Photographic exhibition: 18 poster-size photographs of contemporary Mexico.
Before the arrival of the Europeans to America, the continent was populated by several indigenous cultures that created their own civilizations with innovative developments in science and art; using new materials, techniques, and ideas that convey their identity.
The Spaniards brought with them the European culture, and tried to difuse their world visions and values to the indigenous habitants. Starting as a clash of civilizations, this soon became a multifaceted and complex process of syncretism in the annals of history.
This fusion between the old Europe and the new continent created the science of the latin-american culture. The pictures displayed here show some of the realities of that union and the shapes of its identity that may be often obscured by the iconic stereotypes that are widespread through mainstream media.
29 February - 30 March
Aspects of an Australian Culture
Artworks by David Lever.
The embryo of a distinct Australian culture began to emerge more prominently between the period of Federation and World War II. The early part of the 20th century saw publications such as The Bulletin, Smith's Weekly and other such publications promoted nationalist ideals that people could identify as distinctly Australian. For example, from the mateship ethos derived from the effects of World War I and II, to work ethics resulting from industrialisation profoundly influenced and shaped Australian identity during this period. Multiculturalism introduced a new and different set of values and customs effectively changing the direction of a seemingly Australian national identity.
David Lever's exhibition will invite viewers to reflect upon some of those traditions as snapshots of the historical past that we identify as unique to Australia.
For further details and information about Library exhibitions contact:
Mr Robin Walsh
Exhibitions Co-ordinator
Macquarie University Library
Tel: (02) 9850 7554
Fax: (02) 9850 7513
Email: robin.walsh@library.mq.edu.au