Making change: celebrating the 40 years of Australia-China diplomatic relations

Making change: celebrating the 40 years of Australia-China diplomatic relations

Vernon Ah Kee | Tony Albert | Brook Andrew | Richard Bell | Gordon Bennett | Mervyn Bishop | Daniel Boyd | Bindi Cole | Brenda L. Croft | Nici Cumpston | Destiny Deacon | Fiona Foley | Genevieve Grieves | Gordon Hookey | Dianne Jones | Gary Lee | Ricky Maynard | Tracey Moffatt | r e a | Michael Riley | Christian Thompson | Warwick Thornton | Judy Watson | Jason Wing 

A key change-maker, Whitlam recognised that in order to transform itself into a modern world leader, Australia needed to engage both with its immediate geographic region, Asia, and its original inhabitants, the Aboriginal people. 

These key aspects of his legacy were inherent in Making Change. It included photographic material of Whitlam’s visits to China in 1971 and 1973 and surveyed recent work by artists who are change-makers in their portrayal of modern Australia. The exhibition was accompanied by a bilingual catalogue in English and Mandarin. 

Exhibition Venues 
National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China, 13 November – 14 December 2012 
College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 23 August – 5 October 2013 

Images  
1. Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hands of traditional land owner Vincent Lingiari NT, Mervyn Bishop. Courtesy and © the artist 1975. 
5. Michael Riley, ‘Kristina’, 1986, gelatin silver photograph. © Michael Riley Foundation, courtesy The Commercial Gallery. 
6. Gough Whitlam and Margaret Whitlam accompanied by Deng Xiaoping are shown a significant archaeological site in Beijing, 1973. Photograph of Herbert Cole ‘Nugget’ Coombs. 
8. Wik Elder, ‘Arthur’ from ‘Returning to Places that Name Us’, 2000 © Ricky Maynard. Image courtesy of the artist and Stills Gallery, Sydney. 
9. ’Making Change’ catalogue. © Australian Centre for Photography. 

Produced and Presented in association with 

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Supported by 

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