Richard Bell’s Embassy at the Art Gallery of SA (AGSA)
Richard Bell’s Embassy will be taking up residence at AGSA from 21 – 23 October 2022, as the Aboriginal Tent Embassy marks 50 years of First Nations activism.
Inspired by the Aboriginal Tent Embassy – the protest camp set up 50 years ago on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra – Richard Bell’s Embassy will take over the Art Gallery of South Australia’s forecourt for three days of film screenings, talks and discussions as part of the 2022 Adelaide Film Festival.
Programmed in collaboration by Bell and Ngarrindjeri/Kaurna artist Dominic Guerrera, Embassy will provide a platform to challenge preconceived ideas and stereotypes about Aboriginal people, art and culture. Consisting of a large canvas tent surrounded by painted protest signs, Bell’s installation stands in solidarity with the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy, established at Parliament House in 1972 by four young men demanding Aboriginal land rights, which continues to serve as a powerful symbol of the enduring fight for Aboriginal sovereignty.
Embassy has travelled around the world since first being staged in Melbourne in 2013, including to Performa 15 (2015) in New York, the Venice Biennale (2019), and, in 2023, the Tate Modern, London.
“The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is many things. To most Aboriginal people it is a symbol of resistance to the colonial power structure that still oppresses us, while to some, it is an abhorrent aberration that upsets their master/servant paradigm…Blackfellas’ discontent with the policies of assimilation around the country demanded a line in the sand to be drawn. That line in the sand is a work of art.” – Richard Bell, 2014
Opening Times:
Richard Bell’s Embassy will be open from 10am-5pm on AGSA’s North Terrace forecourt from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 October 2022.
It is free entry, with no bookings required.
Public Programs at Embassy:
Friday 21 October 2022
- 11am: Richard Bell in Conversation with Nici Cumpston and Dominic Guerrera
- 2pm: The Power of Filmmaking: PJ Clague with Alexis West
Saturday 22 October 2022
- 11am: Banning Spit Hoods: Latoya Rule with Jacinta Koolmatrie
- 2pm: Unmonumental: James Tylor and Matt Chun with Dominic Guerrera
- 6pm – 8:30pm: Neo Teen Takeover: Pika warpuwiltarninthi (ticketed event for teens aged 13 – 17)
Sunday 23 October 2022
- 11am: Honouring: Aunty Jo Willmot and Aunty Sandra Saunders with Ashum Owens
- 2pm: Queer Mob: Violet Buckskin and Keenan Smith with Dominic Guerrera
For more information and all enquiries please visit the AGSA website
What: Richard Bell’s Embassy
When: Friday 21 – Sunday 23 October 2022 | 10am – 5pm
Where: AGSA’s North Terrace Forecourt | North Terrace, Adelaide
Who: Everyone
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: supplied
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