- Kinjarling Djinnang Ngalak | Country Sees Us invites audiences to experience Kinjarling Country
- Menang-led exhibition marks the 200-year commemoration of Kinjarling/Albany settlement
- Encourages reflection and dialogue with State Library collections
A new exhibition at the State Library of Western Australia is marking the 200-year anniversary of the settlement of Kinjarling/Albany by placing Menang Noongar voices, knowledge and connection to Country at the centre of the story.
Kinjarling Djinnang Ngalak | Country Sees Usis an immersive exhibition that builds and reframes State Library collections through Menang perspectives.
This Aboriginal led exhibition showcases the natural landscape of Kinjarling/Albany pre and post colonisation and invites visitors to engage deeply with the past, present and future of Kinjarling.
Visitors are invited to step inside a six-metre-wide dome inspired by a traditional Noongar shelter, known as a kornt, that is designed to encourage stillness, reflection and deep listening, with the space offering a place to sit and listen to the voices of Elders.
At the heart of the exhibition are six newly recorded video oral histories from Menang community members Carol Pettersen, Lester Coyne, Mark Colbung, Vernice Gillies, Doreen Hancox and Sharralyn Maddren, along with contributions from Menang ranger Cleve Humphries, which will be preserved by the State Library for future generations.
Curated by Menang Noongar woman Denien Toomath, the exhibition brings these contemporary stories into dialogue with centuries-old maps, photographs and illustrations.
Largescale lenticular prints, digitally reworked under Aboriginal creative direction, shift between past and present landscapes, revealing layers of change over time.
A newly commissioned animation by Western Australian media artist Steven Alyian weaves together artworks by Merningar yorga and Kinjarling First Nations artist Shandell Cummings with historical materials from State Library collections.
The exhibition launches Dialogues 2029, the State Library's fouryear public program leading into the 2029 bicentenary of the Swan River Colony. It forms part of a broader commitment to culturally respectful interpretation and expanding the State's social and historical record.
Guided by Menang elders and community, the exhibition was developed by the State Library in partnership with Community Arts Network.
Kinjarling Djinnang Ngalak | Country Sees Us is now open at the State Library of Western Australia. Entry is free.
As stated by Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk:
"The exhibition is a demonstration of the State Library's commitment to Aboriginal-led storytelling and understanding of our shared history.
"This work is a wonderful example of how cultural institutions can honour Aboriginal knowledge, culture and connection to Country.
"As we approach significant milestones in Western Australia's history, it is vital that we create space for truthtelling and for Aboriginal communities to speak in their own voices.
"This exhibition is an invitation to learn, reflect and engage with the living story of Kinjarling/Albany."
