Gone Fishing

Drawn from the QAGOMA Collection, ‘Gone Fishing’ presents Indigenous Australian artists’ works that affirm this cultural, social and recreational activity. Alongside the display of fish traps, spears, nets and depictions of leisure, the exhibition also showcases works responding to discussions of rising and warming seas, water contamination, and the struggles faced by Traditional Owners to continue to care for their sea Country.

Many of the works included speak to the artists’ community’s position on these long-held debates, standing against destruction, pollution and the effects of climate change, which threaten the vitality of all aspects of our lives. ‘Gone Fishing’ features historical artworks that provide strong political and artistic foundations for the contemporary gestures that have followed.

Image: Naomi Hobson, Kaantju/Umpila peoples, Australia b.1978 / When the Tide Goes Out (detail) 2018 / Synthetic polymer paint on linen / 210 x 210cm / Purchased 2019. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Naomi Hobson