We view our natural landscapes as the essence of life: our sacred lands sustain their people throughout the many changes we face as humans. We build communities and families as we cultivate and protect our society with any means necessary. The beauty of community lies within their stories, and the stories of the Wurumunggu people showcased in the Tennant Creek Brio exhibition provide an insight into the effects of modern colonialism, industrialization, and segregation on their communities.
The remnants of industrialism combined with cultural artwork showcase how one adapts for their communities so that they can tell their stories through these innovative methods. Conversely, the stories depicted in these works showcase the harrowing realities of innovation and how we have become complicit in modern forms of colonialism through the industrialization of sacred cultural lands. The stories told through the works align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Responsible Consumption and Production.
The beauty of art lies not just within its visual medium but also within its message. Works in the Tennant Creek Brio exhibit portray a mix of representations of the Australian First Nations culture as well as the impacts of mining in the Wurumungu communities living in Tennant Creek. In the exhibition description, ACCA writes that the Brio reinscribes their experiences and cultural identity onto salvaged materials such as solar panels, oil barrels, geological maps, and other objects at the now abandoned Warrengo mines. The art in the exhibition explores themes of extraction, reclamation, and collaboration, alongside themes of the complex intergenerational influences that shape the artists’ lives, identities, and future thinking.
Tennant Creek has a history that is filled with cultural erasure and silence for compliance in the early eras of Northern Territory mining. Anthropologist Bill Stanner once stated in 1968 that Australia practiced a “cult of forgetfulness," where colonial violence inflicted on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was not only ignored but silenced. Representations of this are shown through many of the pieces, showcasing the impact of Australia’s ignorance of the struggles of their First Nations people.
The impact of Australia’s silence and ignorance is reflected not only in the artworks but also in how Aboriginal culture is preserved within the Northern Territory. Many in the community have developed their own modified cultural practices, as affected by the segregation attributed to the gold rush. Most native settlements are pushed away by the white settlers, impacting the preservation of their cultures and the land.
White settler developments did not only disturb the land but also the water holes where natives settled. In an interview with Joseph Williams, a resident of the Warumungu community in Tennant Creek, the spread of the different communities has resulted in the use of hand signs to communicate stories and cultural practices. Williams notes that as of 2020, there are only 30 active speakers of the native language of the Warumungu community. We see this reflected in the exhibited pieces, as many feature elements of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Islander artworks implemented using found materials. Cultural adaptation as showcased in the works shows the strength of the people in their commitment to sharing their stories.
Professor John Maynard states that "Australia has still not dealt with its past at all. And in regard to massacres and poisonings, we know that Aboriginal people were, in some sense, nearly obliterated from this continent." The migration boom from the Australian Gold Rush has affected residents of many territories since the late 19th century. Memorials in Australia often commemorate John Flynn, a Presbyterian minister who founded the Australian Inland Mission, whose work significantly impacted the development of its mining industry. The Mining Museum, as an example, makes only fleeting references to the Aboriginal people with no reference to how the mining culture affects them. The dispossession, exploitative employment, harassment, and facilitation of addiction to substances and gambling were erased in order to paint a better picture of the industrial revolution of Australia.
Dean Ashenden writes in his book, Telling Tennant's Story: The Strange Career of the Great Australian Silence (2022), that although familiar with violence, they were not ready for the white man’s conquest for their lands. The Warumungu people in particular learned their lesson from the fights their neighbouring communities had with the settlers, choosing to survive the first violent frontier through adaptation. The second frontier, however, was a different story. Segregation and inequalities, alongside the introduction of alcohol to locals, have led to communities riddled with unemployment and addiction. The remnants of these still affect the communities to this day, as even after the dissolution of the apartheid and the feudal regime, the Aboriginal people are still suffering through cultural erasure, addictions, and a high unemployment rate of 12.3%.
The stories and cultures of the Wurumungu people, however, remain engraved in the remnants of the mines. As showcased within the exhibition, the art collective showcases the hidden truths of their experiences. Sculptures and portraits using found materials such as old solar panels, oil barrels, slot machines, signage, and more are used to portray the harrowing effects of industrialization on their communities. The silenced voices are heightened through their innovative pieces, sharing their cultural heritage through a collection of artworks that blend elements of traditional Aboriginal art, contemporary materials, and the history of Tennant Creek that was silenced in favour of the glory of the Gold Rush.
The arts are a powerful method to tell a story—a way to give a voice to the voiceless and to write history. The Tennant Creek Brio: Juparnta Ngattu Minjinypa Iconocrisis offers a unique experience for the audience to learn more about Australia’s history, told through the perspective of the people affected the most by the development of the country’s industrialization.