PGAV Event Archive

What could best-practice look like for supporting and empowering First Nations artists and curators?

Join co-curators Nici Cumpston and Zena Cumpston to discuss their journey in collaboration with Bunjil Place Gallery to realise the exhibition ngaratya (together, us group, all in it together). Hear their insights from this exhibition and their experiences in the museum and gallery sector. This talk aims to open conversations about self determination and the empowerment of First Nations communities through the visual arts and what best practice looks like. 

Continue to explore ideas over afternoon tea following the conversation.

ngaratya (together, us group, all in it together) is a Bunjil Place Gallery exhibition toured by NETS Victoria. Curated by Nici Cumpston and Zena Cumpston.

This conversation is proudly supported by PGAV and NETS Victoria

About the speakers

Nici Cumpston travels along the backwaters and inland lakes of the Murray Darling basin to create large-scale hand-coloured black and white photographs. Through these works she shares stories of ongoing Aboriginal occupation of this land. By visiting new sites alongside the other artists, she has developed a new series of photographs. Her expertise as a curator is guiding and supporting the artists to develop their ideas and present dynamic new artistic commissions for the exhibition. 

Zena Cumpston is a writer, storyteller, and researcher and is presenting her artistic practice publicly for the first time as part of this exhibition. Zena’s work centres around her interest in plant knowledge. Through her multi-disciplinary storytelling she illuminates the innovation of her people, shining a light on the ways Aboriginal peoples have used plants for nutrition, technologies, and medicines over many thousands of generations. 

Image: installation view of ngaratya (together, us group all in it together), Bunjil Place Gallery, 2023. Image courtesy the artist and Bunjil Place Gallery. © the artist. Photo: Bri Hammond.