Staff from Istanbul Modern hanging the barks. Source: ANMM.

Rhondda Orchard, Saltwater Barks go to Istanbul, Australian National Maritime Museum Blog, 7 September 2015

The Australian National Maritime Museum, with the assistance of Stephen Grant of the GrantPirrie Gallery, purchased a large collection of 80 bark paintings produced to assist the Yolnu, the Aboriginal inhabitants of north-east Arnhem Land to express their ownership, law and traditional knowledge over their lands and waters.

Earlier this year the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKVS) contacted the museum, requesting to borrow four saltwater barks for display in their 14th Istanbul Biennial Saltwater: A Theory of Thought Forms to be held in Turkey at the Istanbul Modern. The exhibition opened on 2 September.

Objects requested for loan from the museum’s collection are assessed for their suitability according to the criteria outlined in our loans policy. These criteria include assessing the borrower’s venue for security, environment and climate control conditions, objects suitability to support the exhibition brief, logistics of transport and their physical condition. Each item was individually assess by our conservation, curatorial and registration teams and happily approved.