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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-16 Daily Xml
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First Nations Artworks Provenance

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs about Aboriginal affairs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: Reports of non-Indigenous studio staff painting significant sections of Indigenous artworks at the Tjala Arts centre in the APY lands has raised serious concerns in the community. This matter is having detrimental impacts and reputational damage on the arts community and it has seen a decrease in sales of Indigenous art over questions of authenticity. This is also impacting on the livelihoods of genuine Indigenous artists. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is the minister concerned about this serious matter?

2. What measures have been put in place by the minister to safeguard the authenticity of Aboriginal artwork?

3. Has the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs met with or discussed with management of the Tjala Arts centre and the impacted Indigenous artists about their concerns?

4. Has the minister received any departmental briefings on this matter and, if so, when and what has been recommended?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:47): I thank the member for her question and her interest in this area. Certainly, there have been many articles in a number of media organisations, principally The Australian newspaper, that have looked at issues concerning the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara arts collective and practices, which many people will be familiar with from media reports.

I have discussed these matters at some length with a number of arts centres across the APY lands and artists have made representations to me in Adelaide with a very wide range of views. I have discussed it, when I had the opportunity, with my colleague the Northern Territory Minister for Arts, who is also the Northern Territory Attorney-General.

It is fair to say there is a concern about the impact that this has on the wider Aboriginal arts sector, particularly the Central Desert region, of which the APY ACC represents a number of centres. It might be seven or nine individual arts centres in the Western Desert area, with the majority from across the APY lands, that are represented by the APY ACC. I know that there was an exhibition that was due to open sometime in the start of June, Ngura Pulka (or big or epic country) at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

I know that the National Gallery has instituted a review, looking at the 20-something artworks that I think were due to be opened there in relation to some of the issues that have been raised about the provenance and the incidence of non-Anangu artists being involved in the production of artworks. I have had a number of discussions with my colleague who has responsibility directly for the area of arts in South Australia, the Hon. Andrea Michaels, the member for Enfield and Minister for Arts.

I know that the Hon. Andrea Michaels has been working with her counterparts the Hon. Chansey Paech, who I mentioned before, the NT arts minister, as well as the Hon. Tony Burke, the federal arts minister. I believe there were statements made earlier today that there will be, with the Northern Territory and the commonwealth government, a joint investigation having a look between the SA, NT and federal government at the allegations that have been raised in relation to this.

So in answer to the honourable member's questions, yes, there have been quite a number of representations that have been made to me as the South Australian Aboriginal affairs minister. I have had quite a large range of discussions, particularly with Anangu artists, arts centres, those involved in the area and other ministers who are responsible for the arts.

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