9 June 2010
An exciting exhibition of Aboriginal art from the centre of Australia, from the collection of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, has opened at the National Art Museum of China, NAMOC, in Beijing.
The exhibition Papunya Painting: Out of the Australian Desert will be on show at NAMOC from 9 June until August, 2010. The National Museum of Australia has the largest collection of Papunya works, a unique painting style which has become representative as a national symbol of contemporary Australia.
The National Museum of Australia is delighted to present the exhibition in association with the National Art Museum of China and acknowledges NAMOC's leading role in presenting the remarkable art of China and the art of other cultures, including Australia.
'The artists of Papunya created a great movement in the visual culture of Australia – a language of art that has found a central place in our nation's imagination,' said Andrew Sayers, Director of the National Museum of Australia.
'We look forward to this association with NAMOC and will explore future opportunities to exchange projects that share our nations' history and art.'
Papunya Painting: Out of the Australian Desert will be part of the Year of Australian Culture in China and will be on display at NAMOC from June until August, 2010.
The community of Papunya is 250 kilometres west of Alice Springs in central Australia. The National Museum of Australia has the most significant collection of 1970s Papunya Tula paintings and objects in the world. The exhibition, Papunya Painting – Out of the Australian Desert will include 48 art works and 18 ethnographic objects.
The National Museum of Australia's exhibition, Papunya Painting: Out of the Australian Desert, is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and is an opening event for Imagine Australia: the Year of Australian Culture in China.
For interviews, images and more information please contact Mark Juddery on (02) 6208 5338, 0438 620 710, or media@nma.gov.au.