MAAS partners with Colombia’s Medellín MoMA

Phoebe Blogg, International exhibition The Space Between highlights Indigenous knowledge and methodology, National Indigenous Times, 4 October 2024

Nicholas Galanin Never Forget. (Image: Courtesy of MAMM ).

Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum has announced the launch of The Space Between, an international exhibition developed in collaboration with Australian artist and Powerhouse Adjunct Curator, Brook Garru Andrew, and Colombia’s Medellín Museum of Modern Art.

Having opened in Medellín, Colombia this week, The Space Between centres on Indigenous ways of being, exploring the connections between the celestial and the earthly, and bringing together global Indigenous artists, researchers, and communities to reimagine and honour our relationships with the land, skies, and waterways.

The exhibition presents Indigenous knowledge and methodologies through projects spanning art, science, ceremony, and sound, developed by First Nations communities, artists, and cultural leaders from across the globe.

The project features engaging works by the Consejo Ancestral Council Willka Yaku (Jenniffer Avila Jordán, Phuyu Uma, Eyder Calambás), Tiwi-run and owned Indigenous arts organisation Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Māori artist Emily Karaka, Ainu artist Mayunkiki, Tlingit and Unangax visual artist and musician Nicholas Galanin, Colombian artist Tahuanty Jacanamijoy and Yanomami artist Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe.

Edgar Calel Installation 4. (Image: courtesy of MAMM).

The exhibition also includes a series of contemporary photographs and accompanying text commissioned by Powerhouse, revisiting Australian photographer Charles Kerry’s 1898 photographs of the Wayilwan people from central west New South Wales.

Nearly 130 years later, cultural practitioners Milan Dhiiyaan hosted a gathering of Wayilwan Elders and community members to respond to the 1898 work, producing new images celebrating the resilience and continuity of Wayilwan cultural practices.

Created by Australian Peruvian Photojournalist Isabella Moore, the images document the endurance of cultural practice.

Edgar Calel Installation 2. (Image: Courtesy of MAMM).

Curated by Powerhouse Adjunct Curator Brook Garru Andrew, Medellín Museum of Modern Art Senior Curator Emilano Valdés, and Performance Curator Paschal Daantos Berry, The Space Between also features a symposium and performance program developed with contributions from Sydney-based Samoan artist and performer Brian Fuata, Australian Filipina artist Bhenji Ra, Skolt Sámi theatre director Pauliina Feodoroff and artist Edgar Calel.

The program aims to open dialogues surrounding significant issues such as land management, subsistence living, Indigenous rights, and recognition.

The program will also feature speakers including Powerhouse Head of Collections First Nations Nathan Mudyi Sentance and sociologist Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui.

Powerhouse chief executive Lisa Havilah said the joint partnership with the Medellín Museum of Modern Art reinforces Powerhouse’s support and advocacy of First Nations people.

“Our partnership with the Medellín Museum of Modern Art reinforces our support and advocacy of First Nations people and their cultural practice,” Ms Havilah said.

“‘The Space Between’ will open dialogues and present potential solutions to issues experienced by Indigenous communities around the world.”

Santiago Yahuarcani – Traje de vuelo de chaman. (Image: Courtesy of MAMM).

Medellín Museum of Modern Art director, María Mercedes González said the opening of the exhibition is a significant milestone which is bound to be celebrated in the coming months.

“We are pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition ‘The Space Between,’ a significant milestone that marks the Powerhouse’s inaugural collaboration with a Latin American museum,” Ms González said.

“Through this partnership, we aim to foster dialogue and solidarity among Indigenous communities across continents, honouring their histories and ways of life.

“We are proud to offer a space where Indigenous voices and experiences are visible and celebrated.”

‘The Space Between’ will be presented at Colombia’s Medellín Museum of Modern Art from 2 October, 2024 to 12 February, 2025.