Major Indian Ocean Art Exhibition Launches at Perth Festival 2026
Curtin University's John Curtin Gallery is preparing to make a significant cultural impact at this year's Perth Festival with a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the diverse cultures and living histories of the Indian Ocean region. The gallery has curated "A call and response across the ocean", bringing together artists from across Australia, South Africa and Indonesia to share their unique cultural perspectives and narratives.
Multi-Sensory Artworks Explore Colonial Legacies
The exhibition features an impressive collection of multi-channel artworks that engage multiple senses including sound, smell and visual imagery. These works collectively examine the complex legacies of colonial oppression while simultaneously celebrating cross-cultural collaboration and transatlantic healing. The exhibition represents a significant cultural dialogue between nations connected by the vast Indian Ocean waters.
Thania Petersen's Sensory Collection Takes Center Stage
African Creole artist Thania Petersen emerges as one of the key creative forces in the exhibition, presenting her sensory JAWAP/Dhomala collection that deeply explores the connections between people and place. Petersen collaborated extensively with Yolŋu and Makassan artists and musicians to investigate how culture, language and song have historically developed relationships across oceanic divides.
Her new sound work titled 'Jeiker' was created using field recordings captured in Makassar, Indonesia, which meticulously trace the migration of Sufi music and ritual through traditional chants shared between Makassar, Cape Town and Arnhem Land. "There was a time when we sang together, otherwise how could we know each other's songs, each other's melodies?" Petersen reflected. "How would these melodies have transferred from one continent to another? There is no way we have been separate our whole existence, because we sing the same songs."
Innovative Installations Engage Multiple Senses
Petersen further explores sensory memory through her 'Rampies Sny' installation, which features thousands of small organza bags filled with freshly cut citrus leaves, frankincense and essential oils. This olfactory experience demonstrates how specific smells can "recall a thousand places" and trigger deep cultural memories across generations and geographies.
The crowning achievement of Petersen's collection is undoubtedly her Australian premiere film, the titular JAWAP. This cinematic work combines psychedelic visuals with a sophisticated five-channel soundtrack to present the Indian Ocean as both a historical weapon for colonialism and a contemporary pathway for cultural return and reconnection.
Complementary Artworks and Performances
While experiencing Petersen's film, audiences are invited to explore accompanying drawings and textile creations that tell intricate stories of traditional sail-making and oceanic travel, providing deeper contextual understanding of her artistic collection. The gallery's atrium will showcase additional ocean-themed artworks that complement the main exhibition's themes.
These pieces include works from various contemporary artists including Brian Robinson and visual artist Laurel Nannup, creating a rich tapestry of artistic responses to oceanic themes. The exhibition will also feature a special performance from First Nations soul artist Bumpy, adding a live musical dimension to the gallery experience.
"A call and response across the ocean" will be free to the public throughout the Perth Festival, running from February 6 to May 3, 2026, offering Western Australian residents and visitors an unprecedented opportunity to engage with these important cultural conversations.
