A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness

The significance of family, community and humour in contemporary Aboriginal life is celebrated in the inaugural Yalingwa exhibition, A Lightness of Sprit is the Measure of Happiness, opening tomorrow at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA).

Curated by Hannah Presley, the exhibition features 10 new commissions from First Nations artists from south-east Australia and beyond, in an exploration of the everyday life and experiences of Aboriginal people today. Country music icons, queer identity, pop-culture and community leadership are referenced, as well as the legacy of ancestors and the importance of coming together to strengthen identity and connection in this new major exhibition, the first in the Yalingwa visual arts initiative. 

A Lightness of Spirit is a Measure of Happiness:  Benita Clements, Vicki Couzens, Robert Fielding, Jonathan Jones, Vincent Namatjira, Yhonnie Scarce, Peter Waples-Crowe, Lisa Waup, Kaylene Whiskey, Tiger Yaltangki and Alec Baker, Peter Mungkuri and Mr Kunmanara Pompey.

Free opening weekend events: Saturday, July 7

1:30–2:30pm: Artist talks featuring Jonathan Jones, Alec Baker, Robert Fielding, Vincent Namatjira, Peter Mungkuri, Kaylene Whiskey, Benita Clements and Mervyn Rubuntja.  

3–5:30pm: Dhumba Narbethon, an afternoon of storytelling and song around the fire in the ACCA courtyard. Welcome to Country by N'arweet Carolyn Briggs. Hosted by Uncle Larry Walsh with Jason Tamiru and presented with the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages. Special thanks to Aunty Fay Muir, Boon Wurrung Language Custodian for the name Dhumba Narbethong (lively chats/stories).

Yalingwa, a Woiwurrung word meaning "day" and "light," is a Victorian government initiative delivered in partnership between Creative Victoria, ACCA and TarraWarra Museum of Art. Designed to support the development of outstanding contemporary Indigenous art and curatorial practice, the Yalingwa program includes three new curatorial positions and three major exhibitions alternating between ACCA and TarraWarra, focused on new commissions by contemporary Indigenous artists.

The Yalingwa initiative also includes three generous one-year Artist Fellowships of 60,000 AUD for senior Aboriginal and Torres Straight artists living and working in Victoria who have made an important contribution to the development of contemporary art practice and Indigenous cultural expression. The inaugural Fellowship has been awarded to leading Melbourne-based artist Destiny Deacon.