A U S T R A L I A N E M B A S S Y A N K A R A
MEDIA RELEASE
20 September 2012
YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FROM AUSTRALIA
Message Stick: Indigenous Identity in Urban Australia
opens in Mardin on 27 September
The Australian Embassy is proud to present a touring art exhibition, Message Stick: Indigenous Identity in Urban Australia, to the audience in Turkey; first in Mardin and then Ankara.
The exhibition features a selection of significant works by Aboriginal artists at the forefront of contemporary art in Australia. The exhibition demonstrates Australia’s commitment to embracing and celebrating the world’s oldest living cultures, a commitment voiced four years ago in 2008 with the National Apology to the Stolen Generations.
Australian Ambassador to Turkey, Mr Ian Biggs, said in Ankara “We are very pleased that we are able to bring this exhibition to Mardin and Ankara this year. I believe the exhibition will contribute significantly to the already friendly relations between our two countries. Australia and Turkey share a unique relationship stemming from the Great War. With exhibitions such as this one, we would like to show to our friends in Turkey that there are other aspects to Australian culture and the arts. I also warmly thank our sponsors, Nu-Door, Austrext and Etihad, for their invaluable contribution to our bringing the exhibition to Turkey.”
The exhibition will be open in Mardin between 27 September and 20 October 2012 at the Mardin Valiliği Konak Galerisi and then move to Ankara, from 1 November to 15 December at CerModern.
Message Stick is presented by the Australian Embassy in Ankara in partnership with ArtBank.
For media inquiries: Please contact Elif Barutcuoglu-Wade at the Australian Embassy, on 0312-459 9504 or 0532-216 6256; e-mail: [email protected]
