Tarnanthi 2023 weaves personal stories with skyward visions

From the miniature to the epic, this year’s Tarnanthi group show is united in its capacity to takes us to places beyond the here and now.
Tarnanthi 2023, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, installation view, showing three largescale red and white paintings.

Tarnanthi is the Art Gallery of South Australia’s (AGSA) major showcase festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. It began as a one-off in 2015, but has since grown into a significant national event that spans 27 venues across South Australia with support from the SA Government and corporate partner BHP.

It’s an art festival and art fair with a stunning track record that invokes a celebratory air. But, with this year’s events being so close in proximity to the Federal Government’s Voice referendum, visitors may be wondering if the mood feels a little different this time.

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ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).