Richard Bell, Embassy, 2013–ongoing. 20th Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Public program 9 March 2016. Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Tate, with support from the Qantas Foundation in 2015, purchased 2017

In conjunction with their fall exhibition, Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala, Asia Society is excited to present two upcoming events with artist Richard Bell. As a member of the Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang communities, Bell has worked at the intersection of art and politics, advocating for Indigenous sovereignty through activism for over three decades. Don’t miss the chance to learn about how he uses his multimedia art practice to explore the complex artistic and political problems of Western, colonial and Indigenous art production.

Viewpoints: Art and Post-Colonial Activism
Conversation with Artist Richard Bell and Carin Kuoni
Friday, November 15, 2024, 6:30–8:30pm
Tickets: $30 Nonmembers; $20 Members; Discount for Seniors/Students

Can art have social impact? Through his multimedia art practice, Richard Bell has, for years, addressed the mainstream systemic colonialism that permeates Australian society, a reality that many First Nations people around the world continue to experience. In this conversation, Bell will be joined by Carin Kuoni, Senior Director and Chief Curator of Vera List Center for Art and Politics at the New School, to retrace his journey from activist to artist, and how his work and his role in the Aboriginal art community shapes the discourse on Indigenous and human rights in Australia and beyond.

To learn more and register, click here.

Richard Bell: Embassy at Asia Society
An Afternoon of conversations on Indigenous sovereignty, land rights, and arts education
Saturday, November 16, 2024, 12:30–6:00pm
Free Event

Asia Society is proud to present Richard Bell’s major work, Embassy (2013­–ongoing), an activated space for activism and dialogue in support of Aboriginal and Indigenous land rights. Created in 2013, it is inspired by the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy, which was pitched on the grounds of Canberra’s Parliament House in 1972 by four young activists. It has previously been presented at various locations around the world, including Tate Modern, London (2023); documenta fifteen, Kassel (2022); 20th Biennale of Sydney (2016); and Performa 15, New York (2015).

The Asia Society edition of Embassy features an afternoon of conversations joined by artists, scholars, and educators focusing on issues including Indigenous sovereignty, land rights, and arts education in Australia and North America.

To register and view the full schedule of events, click here.