Image:
Atong ATEM
Hamam 8 2021
digital photograph
116 x 159 cm
edition of 3 + 2 A/P
Image courtesy the artist and MARS Gallery
15th Apr – 26th Jun 2022
Simpson Gallery
Exploring the lesser-known history of Australia’s first African settlers, Banksia considers migrant stories from a non-colonial perspective.
The video—accompanied by an arresting score by Melbourne composer Jerry Agbinya—and photographic series work in conjunction to reveal otherwise obscured layers of history on a cinematic scale.
The works highlight the experience of African men and women who arrived on the First Fleet in 1788— a colonial history that started long before Atem’s own family arrived from South Sudan in 1997.
In fostering a deeper understanding of the experiences of Australia’s first African migrants, Atem interrogates the shaping of national policy throughout the centuries, which has directly influenced who is determined to be Australian and non-Australian.
Atong Atem is an Ethiopian born, South Sudanese artist and writer living in Narrm (Melbourne). While studying Fine Arts at RMIT, she began experimenting with hand-tinting her own photographs. Atem works primarily with photography and video, and references the works of Malick Sidibe, Philip Kwame Apagya and Seydou Keita to create a visual representation of a relationship to culture.
In 2017, Atem was the recipient of the inaugural Mecca M-Power Scholarship, an annual collaboration between the National Gallery of Victoria and Mecca. In 2021, Atem presented To Be Real, a new series of large-scale photographic works at the Immigration Museum for PHOTO 2021 International Festival of Photography.
The video work Banksia was commissioned by RISING and Illuminate Adelaide in partnership with The Neilson Foundation. Benalla Art Gallery will present for the first time a gallery exhibition of the photographic stills, in concert with a nightly outdoor screening of the video work Banksia.
Supported by MARS Gallery
Atong Atem: Banksia is an official exhibition of PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography (photo.org.au), a major biennial of new photography and ideas taking place from 29 April to 22 May in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Responding to the theme ‘Being Human’, PHOTO 2022 explores the role photography plays in understanding the contemporary human condition. PHOTO 2022 is produced by Photo Australia in collaboration with cultural institutions, museums and galleries, and education, industry and government partners. The exhibition is supported by MARS Gallery. Supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, an Australian Government initiative.
