On October 10, 2019 the Jarracharra: Dry Season Winds exhibition will be held at the Australian Embassy in Paris until January 31 2020, in what marks the first time an exhibition of its kind will be hosted at the embassy.
Jarracharra: Dry Season Winds will feature 30 selected textile works of 12 artists from eight Indigenous language groups, as the exhibition coincides with the United Nations Year of Indigenous Languages, working to promote the knowledge and cultures of Australia on a global stage.
A group of five of the twelve exhibiting artists will make the long trip from their homes around the Maningrida area in Arnhem Land Northern Territory of Australia, a journey motivated by a desire to inspire indigenous artists and share indigenous stories. This group includes artists: Deborah Wurrkidj, Jocelyn Koyote, Raylene Bonson, Jennifer Wurrkidj and Elizabeth Kala Kala.
The idea for the exhibition was conceived in the Bàbbarra Women’s Centre in Maningrida, founded in 1974 as a women’s refuge and today is a thriving art centre. Co-curator Jess Phillips, described the motivation behind the huge effort to the Guardian as, “The best thing we can do is print our stories, and keep the knowledge safe and strong there. By printing what we’ve grown up with, we’re able to continue and pass on our stories.”
Ingrid Johanson, the manager of the centre and co-curator of the exhibition, told SBS News in an interview, “Maningrida is one of the world’s most linguistically diverse places per capita. There are 12 languages here for around 2,500 people,” she said. “This is not just an art exhibition; it’s also really about embracing the diversity of languages from Maningrida and celebrating that in an international realm.”