Artist Paola Balla joins Beth and Nick on The Breakfast Spread to talk about her curation of the Sovereignty exhibition at ACCA.

"Aboriginal women continue to be marginalised and subjected to various forms of violence, both historical and contemporary. Despite being at the forefront of political, social and cultural resistance, our knowledge and practices are often omitted and rendered invisible in colonial academic, art and cultural institutions and public life. It is critical that this omission be addressed by situating Aboriginal women’s contributions to practices of survival in art, academia and public spaces."

Sovereignty is an exhibition focusing upon contemporary art of First Nations peoples of South East Australia, alongside keynote historical works, to explore culturally and linguistically diverse narratives of self-determination, identity, sovereignty and resistance.

Paola Balla is a Wemba-Wemba and Gunditjmara artist, curator and writer. Currently the inaugural Victoria University Lisa Bellear Post Graduate Scholarship recipient, her PhD research at Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit focuses on how Aboriginal women address trauma, violence and healing in art and activism.

Sovereignty
17 December 2016 – 26 March 2017
Curators:
Paola Balla & Max Delany

Photograph:
Lisa Bellear
Land Rights. PAY THE RENT.
Parliament House, Melbourne
Koorie Heritage Trust Collection

https://www.pbsfm.org.au/sites/default/files/images/Pay_The_Rent.jpg