31 January to 28 March 2004
If Only You Knew visually documented the responses of four Indigenous women artists to the City of Melbourne's Art and Heritage Collection – a collection marked by the absence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, 'blak' voices.
Destiny Deacon, Fiona Foley, Julie Gough and Diane Jones were commissioned by the City of Melbourne to explore and engage with aspects of the city's collection. Their reinterpretations of this material brought fresh, new perspectives that illuminated the ellipses and blind spots of the city's past, crystallised in its heritage artefacts.
Using installation, sculpture, photography, new media and video, these artists challenged the absence and denigration of Indigenous Australians, particularly women, in key stories of the city's self-identification. They explored the ongoing dynamic between power, sexuality and colonialism – between history and representation – inserting their own urgent and dissident voices into established narratives.
Two large photographic images by Destiny Deacon featured her niece and nephew, resplendent in robes worn by past Moomba kings and queens. Moomba Princeling and Princess in waiting... were acquired for the City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection in 2004.
Curated by Christian Thompson
Christian Thompson is a practising artist and curator of Bidjara descent. He gained a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Fine Arts at the University of Southern Queensland and a Master of Fine Arts at RMIT. More recently, he has undertaken studies in performing arts at Desarts, in Amsterdam.
His video, photographic and performance work has featured in solo and group shows both in Australia and internationally. His work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Victoria and the Aboriginal Art Museum (The Netherlands), among other notable institutions.