PowerThe galang collective convenes regularly to discuss the role of museums and other cultural institutions in the past and present colonisation of First Nations people. It’s a sovereign space to share culture and creative practice, and challenge narratives of sovereignty, decolonisation, identity, power and language. 

galang 01 brings together transcripts of the collective’s powerful and moving conversations with individual members’ contributions. Essays from Léuli Eshrãghi, Liisa-Rávná Finbog and Biung Ismahasan explore the representation of First Nations art and culture; Mayunkiki and her collaborator Kanoko Tamura exchange a series of text messages that range across Indigenous identity, struggle and support; Brook Garru Andrew gives us an insight into his creative process with poems and sketches from his journals; and Emily McDaniel, Director First Nations at the Powerhouse, reflects on yindyamarra in the museum. First Nations designer Jenna Lee has designed the book as an object that has no beginning or end to reflect the circularity of time and stories that fold and turn on themselves.    

A companion volume, galang 02, was published in November 2022. Both volumes are available packaged together in a slipcase (RRP $100).  

About the authors

Powerhouse-galang is the name of an Indigenous-led think tank composed of First Nations artists, curators and scholars supported by the Powerhouse museum, Australia’s contemporary museum for excellence and innovation in applied arts and sciences.

Dr Brook Garru Andrew, Wiradjuri/Celtic artist, writer and curator. 

Dr Léuli Eshrãghi, Sãmoan/Persian/Cantonese artist, curator and scholar.

Dr Liisa-Rávná Finbog, Sámi scholar and practitioner of duojár.

Lisa Hilli, Papua New Guinea /Australian artist and scholar.

Dr Biung Ismahasan, Taiwanese Indigenous Bunun Nation curator, artist and researcher.

Gail Mabo, Meriam artist, educator and performer.

Mayunkiki, Ainu artist, educator, performer and musician.