Bindi Cole’s new exhibition in Melbourne: On The Edge Of The Unknown
Bindi Cole is one of the first artists I interviewed in Melbourne.
I come to know about her work during the presentation talk of “Melbourne Now” exhibition at the NGV.
Her work span through different mediums, from photography to installation, and the themes are often related to her personal history and aboriginal issues.
She constantly challenges stereotypes, revealing overlooked complexities behind communities and identities. In the series “Not Really Aboriginal” she photographed her family and herself with black painting on their face. The title refers to the accusation that some people addressed to her, that of not being “really” Aboriginal, because of her anglosaxon aspect and her light skin.
One of her most challenging work is “Sistagirls”, a photographic series about the transgender community of the Tiwi Islands.
Recently Bindi Cole decided to reflect on her personal history, mainly through video and installations. Even if she went through tough times, her vision underlies a constant optimism and reveals the beauty of the human experience.
I find her recent installation with emu feathers “I Forgive You) (currently exhibited at Queensland Art Gallery) just moving.
Bindi Cole has now an exhibition called “On The Edge Of The Unknown” at Nellie Castan Gallery, in Melbourne.
Here what she wrote on her blog about it:”Sometimes it can feel like there’s a part of your life that doesn’t even seem as if it was you that participated in it. Like it was a dream or something that happened to someone else. Yet it defined who you were, are, am. On the Edge of the Unknown explores the space between worlds. This is the space that defines you. A space where you decide whether to be a victim to that experience or if it will be the launching pad into your future. Embracing where we come from and the life we’ve lived is key to becoming whole in the present. On The Edge Of The Unknown is an attempt to alleviate all fear and shame associated with the past by bringing it into the light, staring it in the face and sharing it with the world, regardless of the consequences. It turns the dark, hidden and shameful into something light, revelatory and beautiful.”
My interview with Bindi Cole has been published on the Australian magazine Trouble.
