NAIDOC and the Art of Protest

Bruce Johnson-McLean (Wierdi, Birri-Gubba peoples), Assistant Director, Indigenous Engagement, discusses the art of protest in the national collection for NAIDOC Week.

NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week is an annual celebration that recognises Australia’s First Nations people and their rich cultural history. In the early 1990s, NAIDOC Week emerged as an important national event following acts of self-determination and civil rights protests including the 1938 Day of Mourning.

In this livestream event, Johnson-McLean will highlight key works from the Gallery’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art collection that speak to the art of protest and current climate for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.