Unsettled
From 22nd May at The Australian Museum
Unsettled is a thoughtfully curated retelling of our nation’s foundation story. If it makes you feel a bit unsettled then that’s because it challenges the history we were taught in school. It tells stories in voices not widely before heard, and it brings to light, with evidence, injustices and atrocities we’d all rather were not a part of our shared story.
“History is told from multiple perspectives. Some of the stories may be unsettling as they present another view of history. But it is only through education and considering different perspectives that we will move towards greater understanding” (Director’s Statement)
Unsettled is confronting and challenging but it also visually engaging, with immersive multimedia, contemporary art works and significant cultural objects all tied together with bold patterns and a strong colour palette. The story telling is linear, guiding the visitor from pre-settlement and contested possession, through resistance, dispossession and the stolen generations, to civil rights and land claims and the pursuit of reconciliation.
The exhibition ends on a hopeful note in the Winhangadurinya meditation space. I was left with the sense that with understanding and healing, truth-telling and genuine engagement, our future shared story will be very different.
