The premiere of art commission Two Girls From Amoonguna by Sally M Nangala Mulda and Marlene Rubuntja is set to open at ACMI.
Encompassing animation, soft sculpture, and paintings, it tells the intertwined story of Sally, Marlene and their life-long friendship.
Supported by Tangentyere and Yarrenyty Arltere art centres in Marnptwe (Alice Springs), both artists have developed a style completely representative of the place in which they live. Marlene’s soft sculpture practice sees her dye material using plants, rusted metals and other found colourings to create creatures of the Central Desert. Sally’s iconic hand-painted script dictating her painted scenes of daily life are both politically poignant and whimsically touching.
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Curated by Jenna Rain Warwick (Luritja), the exhibition will be on display in ACMI’s Gallery 3, located in Melbourne’s Fed Square, from 9 May – 20 August 2023.
At the centre of the exhibition is the animated video work ArrkutjaTharra, Kunkga Kutjara, Two Girls, which tells the story of Sally and Marlene’s enduring friendship from their childhood in Amoonguna Settlement in the Northern Territory to their lives now as two of Australia’s leading artists.
The animation brings figures from Marlene’s soft sculptures and Sally’s acrylic on linen paintings to life on Marlene’s ink on paper illustrations of Central Australian landscapes. Sally’s hand-painted cursive lettering forms the subtitles for narrations by Sally, Marlene and the voices of their younger family members. Chronicling both their successes and struggles, the work delves into the reality of First Nations peoples living in Central Australia and provides a more personal perspective on an often-politicised area.
Exhibited alongside will be a selection of Sally’s acrylic on linen paintings and Marlene’s soft sculptures. Playful and colourful, the works exemplify how humour and joy exists side-by-side with hardship.
Artist Marlene Rubuntja said: “I think the film is real good one! Good to see our lives from backwards when we were just little girls. Now we can show our grandchildren how we were when we were little girls, not just how we are now as old ladies.”
ACMI First Nations Curator Jenna Rain Warwick said: “Two Girls From Amoonguna tells a universal story of friendship and finding joy even in times of hardship. We’re delighted to bring Sally and Marlene’s nuanced, empathetic depiction of life for First Peoples in Central Australia to a wide audience.”
Two Girls From Amoonguna runs 9 May – 20 August 2023 at ACMI. Exhibition entry is free. For further details visit acmi.net.au.
