Aboriginal artist launches confronting ‘warr!’exhibition on ‘Invasion Day’

Genocide, invasion, and the palawa people’s fight for survival are the themes of a confronting new artpiece unveiled at Hobart’s Parliament Lawns on Australia Day.

Genocide, invasion, and the palawa people’s fight for survival are the themes of a confronting new artpiece unveiled at parliament gardens on Australia Day.

The warr! exhibition was launched on Wednesday by Aboriginal artist Kartanya Maynard as part of the Mona Foma arts festival.

The exhibition consists of an audio soundscape and big red letters honouring the 26 surrendered Aboriginal resistance fighters who walked to parliament house in 1831.

They were the handful of remaining survivors of the Black War, when most of Tasmania’s indigenous population was massacred with the rest being sent to Flinders Island.

The 26 surrendered warriors were sent to Flinders Island as part of a deal struck with the European settlers, who promptly reneged on their promises as soon as they were on the island.

Ms Maynard said this was a bitter chapter in Tasmania’s history, and a reason why Australia Day was such a slap in the face for the Aboriginal community.

Artist Kartanya Maynard who collaborated with artist Vernon Ah Kee activate the space outside parliament with language and sound, palawa kani and calls of protest. Picture: Chris Kidd

“It’s Invasion Day for us, and if you think that celebrating genocide and the destruction of our people is okay, then I don’t know what to tell you,” she said.

“warr! is a work that focuses on the history of protest within the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, and we decided to the parliament lawns because it has been a major space we’ve reclaimed to protest and fight for our rights as Aboriginal people.”

Ms Maynard has long been advocating to change the date of Australia Day away from January 26, the day of the First Fleet landing in Sydney Cove in 1788.

On Tuesday Premier Peter Gutwein said he’d be open to the idea of changing the date to a less “divisive” date.

Artists Kartanya Maynard and Vernon Ah Kee activate the space outside parliament with language and sound, palawa kani and calls of protest. . Picture: Chris Kidd

Mr Gutwein floated the idea of changing it from a fixed date to a rolling January long weekend, similar to how the Queen’s Birthday long weekend is scheduled.

“When I was growing up, what we used to have was a long weekend in January, and that was when we celebrated the Australia Day weekend,” Mr Gutwein said.

“In terms of the date itself, it obviously does cause division within our community, so a weekend model… I think is one that used to work and should be considered.”

Ms Maynard said she liked Mr Gutwein’s idea, but said she remained highly sceptical about whether he would ever actually implement it.

“I’m going to have to see it to believe it,” she said.

Artist Kartanya Maynard . Picture: Chris Kidd

The warr! exhibition will be free and open to the public until January 30. The soundscape will be switched on from 10am to 6pm each day until then.

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