Upcoming Events

Icons from Dutch collections of Aboriginal art brought together in Aboriginal art today!

Aboriginal art today! provides a fascinating overview of the evolution of contemporary Aboriginal art from around 1970 right up to the most recent developments. What is particularly significant is that all the works featured in this exhibition come from Dutch collections. Besides the collection of the AAMU, these include the collections of Aboriginal art of the Groninger Museum, the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, the University Museum Groningen and the Nijmeegs Volkenkundig Museum. The AAMU also has access to various private collections. This is the first time that key works from all of these collections, which have been loaned to the museum on a long-term basis, have been brought together in one exhibition.

In Aboriginal art today! the various regions and art centres are explored in detail, against a backdrop of historical events which played a crucial role in the development of contemporary Aboriginal art. The exhibition will open on April 21 and run until 31 October 2010.

Artists in the exhibition:

This exhibition will of course feature those artists who have become icons of Australian Aboriginal art. Emily Kame Kngwarreye represented Australia posthumously at the 1997 Venice Biennale. John Mawurndjul received international acclaim for his imposing bark paintings. In Europe solo exhibitions of his work were held at the Sprengel Museum in Hannover (2006) and the Tinguely Museum in Basel (2005). Rover Thomas, from the Kimberley, broke away from traditions with his innovative style of painting. Together with Trevor Nickolls he was the first Aboriginal artist to exhibit at the Venice Biennale (in 1990). Michael Riley was a photographer and filmmaker and co-founder of the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative that gave an important boost to the development of contemporary Aboriginal art in the cities in the 1990s. Wakartu Cory Surprise is making waves at the moment. She was a prize winner at the Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards. Her work Pitmarlu (2009) is a recent addition to the AAMU collection. received international acclaim for his imposing bark paintings.