Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:54): My question is to the Minister for the Arts. Minister, what is the progress of the TARNANTHI Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:54): I thank the member for Reynell for her question. The inaugural TARNANTHI Festival will be the largest gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists South Australia has ever seen. To be held from 8 October to 18 October, the festival will showcase the work of over 300 Australian artists across 21 cultural venues in Adelaide, attracting national and international guests, artists, collectors, curators, students, cultural industry professionals and academics. I see the member for Schubert—Google boy—working very hard. Good man. The TARNANTHI Festival—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: The highest paid internet filterer in the country!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —flagship exhibition will take over the whole of the Art Gallery of South Australia, and just days after this year's AFL Grand Final over 40 carved and painted wood sculptures of footy players and paintings depicting scenes of bush footy created by Utopia artists Dinni Kunoth Kemarre and Josie Kunoth Petyarre will grace the gallery's vestibule and celebrate the role of Aussie rules in Central Australia.

Dinni and Josie's sculptures and paintings will also be the inspiration for the gallery's Studio space dedicated to children and families. He's still looking. I hope that it is my Dorothy he is looking for on the internet and nothing else, Mr Speaker.

Mr KNOLL: I was looking at the website covering this topic. I was trying to give the Minister for Health the benefit of the doubt, but they are on the website and they detail all the information.

The SPEAKER: Which ones are they?

Mr KNOLL: Well, it says:

TARNANTHI program announced [and] preview of the highly anticipated TARNANTHI program revealed.

So, the question on the dixer here was about the program, and the program details are all online.

The SPEAKER: The words the minister has used are not on the news release provided to me. Minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The curated TARNANTHI Art Fair at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute on the opening weekend of 9 October and 10 October will attract first-time buyers and dedicated collectors alike to buy directly from artists representing 40 Australian art centres. With works of art ranging from $50 to over $10,000, this will be an opportunity for dedicated collectors or first-time buyers to buy work direct from Aboriginal artists across Australia. The TARNANTHI Festival, which is supported by the state government, the Art Gallery of South Australia and a $4 million investment from principal partner BHP Billiton, will feature arts installations spectacular in size and impact.

Artist Yhonnie Scare's 2000 individually blown glass bush yams will form the shape of a nuclear bomb blast conducted at Maralinga, while an installation of 500 spears will show how senior cultural law men pass on the traditional knowledge of spear making to young men from the APY lands. The famous name Namatjira features large in the festival, including works of art by Vincent Namatjira, the great grandson of Albert. I am proud to say that Vincent's painting of Captain Cook was recently acquired by the British Museum.

Six artists, all descendants of Albert Namatjira, have also created wearable works of art in the Namatjira Collection of 1950s style skirts, with magnificent round watercolour landscape paintings—a great thing to buy; I would love one, Mr Speaker. TARNANTHI will change our perceptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, and I encourage all members to get along to what promises to be a fantastic celebration of Indigenous art.