A new exhibition at Curtin University's John Curtin Gallery is set to make a splash at this year's Perth Festival, exploring the rich cultures and living histories of the Indian Ocean. Titled 'A call and response across the ocean', the exhibition features artists from Australia, South Africa, and Indonesia.
The collection uses multi-channel artworks incorporating sounds, smells, and imagery to unpack legacies of colonial oppression while celebrating cross-cultural collaboration and transatlantic healing. African Creole artist Thania Petersen presents her sensory JAWAP/Dhomala collection, which examines connections between people and place.
Petersen collaborated with Yolŋu and Makassan artists and musicians to explore how culture, language, and song build relationships across oceans. Her new sound work 'Jeiker' traces the migration of Sufi music through 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?' Petersen said.
Her installation 'Rampies Sny' features thousands of small organza bags filled with citrus leaves, frankincense, and essential oils, highlighting the power of smell to recall places. The centrepiece is her Australian premiere film 'JAWAP', which uses psychedelic visuals and a five-channel soundtrack to depict the Indian Ocean as both a weapon for colonialism and a pathway for return.
Complementary artworks by contemporary artists Brian Robinson and visual artist Laurel Nannup will be displayed in the gallery's atrium, alongside a performance by First Nations soul artist Bumpy. The exhibition is free to the public from February 6 to May 3 during the Perth Festival.
