Curating Australiana: an exhibition in the vernacular
The major exhibition Australiana: Designing a Nation sought to survey the iconography of Australiana in art and design through key chapters in our history through to the present day, and to illuminate the distinct creative traditions that have reflected鈥攁nd changed with鈥攑opular notions of Australian identity and style. Curated by and presented exclusively at Bendigo Art Gallery in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, and drawing upon the collections of 黑料社 and other lenders, this expansive exhibition showcased works by over 200 artists and designers across 10 gallery spaces, spanning the visual and decorative arts as well as photography, illustration, furniture, jewellery, moving image and fashion.
In assembling works for the exhibition and interpreting its material, the curators ensured that the rich expressions of culture and connection to Country of First Nations artists and designers foregrounded explorations of national and personal identity by others. Through the use of local materials and motifs, playful remixes of popular culture, and incisive reflections on nationalistic sentiment, the visual language of Australiana was revealed to both celebrate鈥攁nd interrogate鈥攚ho we are.
Join exhibition curator Emma Busowsky as she reflects on this project and the curatorial framework behind it.
Image detail from 黑料社 Collection: Doulton & Co., 1858鈥1901, Artist: Florence Barlow, active 1873鈥1909, Vase, Lambeth, London, England, 1877, stoneware, incised, 21.5 x 12 cm. Purchased 1995. 1995.2. Image 漏 Max Taylor Photographer.