Rite of Passage: Opening Day

Culture exists. It is a recognition of knowledge and an assertion of power. It romances its way into our souls and it consumes us all who live and breathe it. For Aboriginal people like me, it's a strength and a force that runs through our veins; it checks my internal agency and confirms my devoted responsibility to this land.

Presented on the opening day of Rite of Passage, QUT Art Museum invites you to join the exhibiting artists and curator in a series of events that explore their creative responses to the significance of the year 2020 – 250 years since James Cook first arrived on our shores – and how they are reframing the way that we perceive this year in our history.

In the curator talk, hear from Shannon Brett as she discusses the development of the exhibition and the personal significance that this project has for her.

Join two panel discussions, chaired by Leesa Watego, Director of Iscariot Media, and hear from the exhibiting artists and curator as they share how they define themselves as voices of their families and their ancestors in their quest to preserve their Aboriginality, and explore the idea of 2020 as a key turning point – a transition from the past, towards a future that validates the sovereignty of Aboriginal people.