CoVA Graduate Academy, ‘Puzzles & Problems with Art Appropriation’

Appropriation is a part of the artist’s creative toolkit. When is it wrong to appropriate art?

Icons patterns and objects that are part of a culture are sometimes used by art-makers and curators. They might be re-presented with or without the collaboration of permission of the source. And there may be little or no transformation of the original.

Is the appropriation of Indigenous art and knowledge different from other forms of cultural appropriation?

How might appreciation of contemporary Indigenous arts be different from objects that have secret or sacred significance?

Is there a point where something is transformed enough to no longer require the permission of the owners?

What counts as collaboration and permission anyway?

Does curating always involve some transformation? When does a curator become an art-maker?

Not all problems have answers but there are always good questions to be asked. This panel is different. The focus is on finding the questions on art appropriation.

Add your questions in your RSVP while registering, and we will try to include them in the program.

Presenters: Dr Elizabeth Burns Coleman, Dr Jaye Early, Margo Neale, Paul O-Halloran, Tiriki Onus, Professor Robyn Sloggett, Janet Turpie-Johnston.

This event is presented in partnership with the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development, the Centre of Visual Art, Faculty of Arts and School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, held at Buxton Contemporary.

The Graduate Academy has been established with the aim to connect graduate researchers across the Faculties of Fine Arts and Music (Southbank) and Faculty of Arts (Parkville), to encourage the development of innovative interdisciplinary approaches to visual arts research and provide new opportunities and pathways for students pursuing research careers in relevant disciplines.