This year marks the 41st anniversary of the development of ARIs in Australia, and as both a celebration of and an indication of how far national and international ARIs have come, a four-day symposium organised by NAVA and Firstdraft was held in Sydney in September 2011.
In an interview format artist and academic Stephen Haley discusses the work of Kate Shaw the artist whose work features on the cover of the Phenomena issue of Artlink. Shaw talks about the way she uses colour, her techniques and goals from garnering attention to depicting an ambivalent relationship to the natural world.
'Out of mind' the work by Fiona Hall at the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland draws together scientific research with art research to demonstrate that both approach the world with wonder and intrigue. "Hall’s work ... is apt for neuroscientists are indebted to the neural architecture of animals. The brains of insects like fruit flies or honeybees are much smaller and simpler than ours, yet because similar molecular mechanisms underlie their operation, these creatures may very well hold the keys to unlocking the mysteries of autism, schizophrenia, depression and a range of other human disorders."
Alice Springs-based writer Kieran Finnane describes the caterpillar dreaming in the Alice Springs area. She draws attention to changing attitudes over the years towards traditional custodians and the places they care for.
Land, Sea and Sky: Contemporary Art of the Torres Strait, GOMA Strait Home, State Library of Queensland Awakening: Stories from the Torres Strait, Queensland Museum Belong, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre Mabo Oration 2011, Follow the Stars: Indigenous culture, knowledge and intellectual property rights 1 July - 23 October 2011