The Space In Between. Visions of Indigenous Art in the World

With the participation of: Aycoobo, Kaye Brown, Eyder Calambas Tróchez, Edgar Calel, Seba Calfuqueo, Willka Yaku Ancestral Council, Timothy Cook, Paula Nicho Cúmez, Pauliina Feodoroff, Brian Fuata, Nicholas Galanin, Estefanía García Pineda, Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association, Tahuanty Jacanamijoy, Emily Karaka, Raelene Kerinauia Liddy (Lampuwatu), Hans Ragnar Mathisen, Mayunkiki, Bhenji Ra, Conrad Tipungwuti (Kamilowra), Columbiere Tipungwuti, Mama Clementina Tróchez Tombé, Phuyu Uma – Jenniffer Ávila Jordan, Wayilwan/Wailwan country and Isabella Moore, Mickey Wilson Fogarty, Pedro Wonaeamirri, Santiago Yahuarcani, Elvira Espejo Ayca and Ashley Perry.

The Brazilian philosopher Ailton Krenak says: “Life permeates everything; it passes through a stone, the ozone layer, glaciers. Life travels from the oceans to the mainland, crossing from north to south, like a breeze, in all directions. Life is this journey of the living organism of the planet in an immaterial dimension.” From this perspective, The Space in Between connects artists, researchers, and communities who honor and reimagine our relationships with the skies, the lands, and the waterways, while inviting new collaborative ways of being and working together, always emphasizing the care of our Common Home. The exhibition understands that it is not possible to reduce the Indigenous world to contemporary art and navigates the intercultural tensions between craft, science, music, ceremony, history, and space, among modes of practice and thought.

At the same time, issues related to land management, subsistence, rights, and the recognition of all dimensions of Indigenous peoples’ autonomy occupy a central place, as does the way in which these actions and practices are rooted in territorial and ancestral memories, the climate crisis, creation histories, and the current critical reality of the world we share. This demonstrates that, rather than scattered ideas and localized challenges, the disparities affecting communities in different places have much in common: the legacy of colonialism, the objectification of life, and extractivism in all its forms have reached every corner of the world and have brought us to the brink of collapse.

To paraphrase the words of the Colombian philosopher Arturo Escobar, the space in between is also a period of transition and weaving of possible designs and redesigns between the old paradigm and a new way of relating to the Earth, one that understands human beings as part of a broader life; what Krenak has called the ancestral future. It is this possibility, formed by diverse yet complementary visions, that the exhibition aims to make possible: a place of justice and reparation, but also of fertility, hope, and collective construction, made possible within the context of a museum but extending far beyond. A reminder that the sooner we recognize the power of our collective voices, the greater our chances of preserving life. Because, as Krenak has stated, “Either you listen to all the voices of all the other beings who inhabit the planet with you, or you wage war on life on Earth.”

Relive the experience

The space in between opens with a performative symposium that addresses different experiences of indigeneity and the visibility of Indigenous peoples in Central and South America, contrasting them with experiences in Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and the United States. The gathering at the MAMM fosters unity and solidarity, sharing support and promoting these dialogues and collaborations.

Credits:

The space in between is a project conceived by Brook Garru Andrew for the Powerhouse Museum Parramata, and this version is co-curated by Andrew, Emiliano Valdés, chief curator at MAMM, and Paschal Daantos Berry, performance curator, with Ana Ruiz, junior curator at MAMM, and advised by the Willka Yaku Ancestral Council. The exhibition design is by Cherie Schweitzer with an intervention by Tahuanty Jacanamijoy.

The space in between is a co-production of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín.

They support