Unbranded:
La Trobe Art Institute
Discussions around the existence and relevance of an ‘Indigenous brand’ or ‘aesthetic’ are at the heart of a new exhibition at La Trobe Art Institute, curated by Glenn Iseger-Pilkington & Travis Hodgson. unbranded presents work by contemporary Indigenous artists whose practices seek to undermine and subvert stereotypes and understanding around definitions such as ‘traditional/non-traditional’, or ‘urban/remote’. Artists include Damien Shen, Dean Cross, Gunybi Ganambarr, Illiam Nargoodah, James Tylor, John Prince Siddon, Ngarralja Tommy May, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, Nyurpaya Kaika Burton, Patrina Munuŋgurr,, Sharyn Egan, Sonia Kurarra and Wukun Wanambi. Collectively the work unpicks preconceptions of what Indigenous creative practice is or should be and seeks to reflect the rich complexity, and sometimes-conflicting experiences of culture and identity in contemporary Australia. Essentially unbranded refutes the notion that the experience of Indigenous artists and Indigenous people across Australia can be expressed or represented as a singular brand or trope for a commercial consumption. unbranded runs from May 6 until June 22, 2019 at La Trobe Art Institute.
