IMEMI and The Museum of South Australia

In 2017 IMMI began. It was a whirlwind of young emerging artists, writers, curators and musicians putting in hard work to realise my dream: To create an artwork about cultural plurality. We made a short film, portrait photographs, costumes, 3D worlds, poems, a curatorial essay, sound sculptures and more. Through a mentorship with John Carty at The Museum of South Australia and help from Joanna Kitto (Curator) and Dominic Symes (Poet) we had concluded the subject matter for our exploration:

The alienation of cultural representation. Appropriation, Appreciation and everything inbetween.  

John Carty and I addressed the exhibits in the museum that were culturally insensitive. As the newest member of the curatorial team, John was exhibiting a project in the temporary exhibit ‘Yidaki’. We spoke about cultural representation and hybridisation. One thing that stood out to me is that some of the instruments in the displays were repaired with red, yellow and black ductape. Ductape being a plastic material not displayed in any of the permanent exhibits, but the colours being one of the strongest emblems of indigenous Australia.

“Indigenous culture is contemporary, musicians still use beeswax to repair instruments, but ductape is some times better.” 

IMEMI explores the representation of cultural baggage and it‘s repair through contemporary art. 




Portraits:
(Artworks made in Collaboration with Emmaline Zanelli)


Still Life photographs:
(Artworks made in Collaboration with Emmaline Zanelli)



Link to Poetry by Dominic Symes

Link to Curatorial Essay by Joanna Kitto