65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art
Potter Museum of Art
Potter Museum of Art
65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art celebrates the brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art while confronting the dark heart of Australia’s colonial history and proclaims the importance of Indigenous knowledge and agency. The exhibition features more than 400 works, including rarely-seen artworks and cultural objects from the University of Melbourne’s collections, 194 important loans from 78 private and public lenders and six new commissions.
Complementing the exhibition are important educational resources for primary, secondary as well as tertiary students, designed to build a deeper understanding of Indigenous art, history and culture. These educational resources will continue to be available beyond the life of the exhibition. They are developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne’s signature Ngarrngga Project, which builds innovative curriculum resources in collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Experts.
Curated by Associate Provost and Distinguished Professor Marcia Langton AO, Senior Curator Judith Ryan AM, and Associate Curator Shanysa McConville – in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and custodians of art traditions – the exhibition explores the belated recognition of Indigenous art and its rise to prominence globally.
Complementing the exhibition are important educational resources for primary, secondary as well as tertiary students, designed to build a deeper understanding of Indigenous art, history and culture. These educational resources will continue to be available beyond the life of the exhibition. They are developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne’s signature Ngarrngga Project, which builds innovative curriculum resources in collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Experts.
Curated by Associate Provost and Distinguished Professor Marcia Langton AO, Senior Curator Judith Ryan AM, and Associate Curator Shanysa McConville – in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and custodians of art traditions – the exhibition explores the belated recognition of Indigenous art and its rise to prominence globally.
30 May – 22 November 2025
The history of eugenics at Melbourne University.
10-minute, 2-channel video featuring Marcia Langton AO.
School of Geography Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Food and Agriculture Museum and Network (FAO MuNe), Rome, Italy.
13-minute video featuring Marcia Langton AO.
Exhibition interviews with senior curator Judith Ryan AM, associate curator Shanysa McConville and exhibition designer Nguyen Le.
Artist commissions videos.
Camera: James Wright, Eugene Perepletchikov
Editor: James Wright
