Editorial: A big, bold, brave idea
EDITORIAL: WE were always going to get a big idea from the creative minds from Mona.
Opinion
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WE were always going to get a big idea from the creative minds from Mona.
From the very first moment they were drawn into the planning process for the Macquarie Point redevelopment there was the promise of something grand, something monumental, something seminal.
And Mona’s minds have delivered.
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The idea to ground the theme of the redeveloped former railyards site in the notion of truth and reconciliation and the 40,000 year human history of this island is breathtaking in its potential. Mona’s plan for a National Truth and Reconciliation Art Park dealing with the ancient story of the Aboriginal people and the Black War will challenge some, but has the power to become an international drawcard.
The proposed centrepiece of the cultural precinct is a 650m x 75m art park, with a major fire and light installation dedicated to celebrating 40,000 years of continuous culture in Tasmania, including a Tasmanian Aboriginal history centre, living culture centre, library and education facilities.
It is a bold and commendable idea that is made all the more agreeable with Mona owner David Walsh’s enlightened and conciliatory attitude: “This, right now is the best we’ve got. If it isn’t good enough, don’t walk away, work with us to make it better. It will be easy enough to find fault and to criticise. But we’ve done nothing for far too long, and continuing to do nothing will only make things worse for everybody, invaders and indigenes alike.”
You cannot get much more open to new ideas and participation than that. Bravo Mr Walsh.
What he and his Mona crew have done is sketch an outline complete with thematic underpinnings to develop something truly significant.
Creative director Leigh Carmichael says Macquarie Point can be the national beacon and the location of Australia’s first major public acknowledgment for part of our history that some would rather ignore and not talk about, but “ultimately made us who we are”.
It will be interesting to watch the reaction from Tasmanian Aboriginal leaders. There is a great deal of angst within the state’s Aborigines regarding the issue of cultural identity. The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre’s longheld right to speak on behalf of the island’s Aboriginal community has been challenged with the loud dissent of other organisations that claim there is no “one voice” and that the Aborigines of the state are a disparate groups.
Tasmanian Aboriginal academic Greg Lehman has been working with Carmichael on the Macquarie Point project. However, the willingness of the TAC and other groups to be involved is yet to be seen.
The reaction of some in the broader Tasmanian community will also be telling, with Walsh promising: “We are going to push for this, despite knowing we are whitefellas treading on blackfella graves. We aren’t doing this to pacify or mollify. We are doing it because we believe in it, and we are trying to find a way through. We’ve learned a little bit, it isn’t enough, but we’ll keep learning.”
Cultural politics aside, the minds at Mona have delivered a potent and brave idea with state and national historical significance.
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