20 August

Festival Opening Night

Gather in the beautiful grounds of WFAC to celebrate the opening of 10 Nights in Port. Be among the first to experience two new exhibitions, alongside music from the Walyalup Kannajil Choir and DJ Oniiké. Food and drinks available.

In our hands, we hold

Presented by WFAC.

Opening in the galleries, In our hands, we hold brings together artists whose practices centre weaving as both physical object and intangible idea. Through portals, baskets, vessels and interwoven forms, the exhibition makes space for ancient, embodied and contemporary stories shaped through knowledge-sharing, truth-telling and moments of coming together.

Foregrounding the work of First Nations women, the exhibition extends to artists who share relationships to ancestral stories and recent family histories. Objects and presented practices speak to generosity, time, artist knowledge and the ways we understand and shape our place in the world.

In our hands, we hold is co-curated by Zali Morgan (Whadjuk Ballardong and Wilman Noongar) and Abigail Moncrieff, and features work by Lorraine Connelly-Northey (Waradgerie), Sharyn Egan (Whadjuk Nyoongar), Brett Nannup (Noongar artist with ancestral ties to the Binjareb and Wilman peoples), James Nyugen, Clare Peake, Mabel Juli (Gija), Chantal Fraser, Beverly Thomson (Yamatji) and Katie West (Yindjibarndi).

NULLIANS

Presented by 10 Nights in Port.

Opening in the Inner Courtyard, Nullians is a satirical exhibition by Noongar artist Kamsani Bin Salleh, also known as Kambarni, examining the ideologies underpinning Australia as an extraction colony. Through comic-style illustrations, Bin Salleh explores histories of colonisation, identity and power with humour, wit and disarming simplicity.

The exhibition centres on the Nullians: formless, expressive characters whose name references the colonial fiction of “land belonging to no one.” Through their conversations, they invite audiences to question inherited narratives and consider the ongoing impacts of colonialism.

Using humour as a vehicle for difficult conversations, Nullians navigates subjects ranging from everyday microaggressions to genocide, weaving together historical events and contemporary popular culture to make challenging ideas accessible while prompting reflection on Australia’s past and present.

Gather as the festival begins, explore both exhibitions and celebrate the opening night of 10 Nights in Port at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre.

Gather as the festival begins with an evening of food, fire and celebration in the beautiful grounds of Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre.

Free entry, no need to register. All are welcome.