Hot on the heels of the Grand Opening of the Art Gallery and Café at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, a sculptural Acknowledgement to Kabi Kabi Country was unveiled on Friday 28 February. Edith Cuffe, Chair of the Abbey Board, acknowledged the Kabi Kabi First Nations Board in her opening comments.
Lyndon Davis, a Traditional Custodian of the Kabi Kabi people and an internationally acclaimed artist, cultural educator and performer, designed the sculpture for the entrance to the Abbey Museum’s new extension and performed the Welcome to Country ahead of the unveiling.
“The sculpture honours the ancient cultural history of the land on which the Abbey Museum is situated and the custodianship of Kabi Kabi people in caring for country over thousands of years”, Lyndon Davis said. In his welcome he stated the sculpture represents “passing on that knowledge, we’re the next ones living here, so the more we know about the place, we can look after it like these ancestors before us.”
The Honourable Leeanne Enoch MP, Shadow Minister for Closing the Gap and Reconciliation, Shadow Minister for the Arts and Seniors and Disability Services and Integrity acknowledged the truth-telling of this sculpture, stating:
“To have this commitment to telling the truth of this place in such a beautiful, peaceful, connected way, that all of us can breathe it in and take in part of our own story going into whatever part of our lives – in our workplaces, in our education, in our families, and in our friendship groups. It’s important that we take the opportunities to tell the stories of these places. We will all hold the responsibilities of these stories regardless of your cultural background, […], and every time visitors come here, they will be reminded of those responsibilities and reminded of the story of this place through this great piece of art […] on display for everybody to connect with as they come to this very peaceful and beautiful place.”
Councillor Brooke Savige, representing Mayor Peter Flannery on behalf of City of Moreton Bay, congratulated the Abbey Museum, for “yet another outstanding project that continues their strong track record of growing the creative, cultural, historical and tourism potential of our city. This sculpture further elevates First Nations art within the Moreton Bay region.”
Uncle Ken Murphy, senior elder of the Jinibara nation, based around Woodford, Kilcoy and parts of the Brisbane River valley, was also in attendance at the ceremony.
Born and raised on the Sunshine Coast, Lyndon’s art tells of his deep connection to Country and depicts stories of landscapes, flora and fauna.
His design represents two Kabi Kabi shields and the traditional timbers used to make them: the Bat-wing Coral Tree and the Fig Tree. The Bungwall Fern shown on the base of the shields is still growing in this area. Its roots were ground by women to make damper and was a major food species. ‘Our artwork comes directly from this bush’ Lyndon said, ‘the wings of a bird, the scales of a fish, the patterns in a bunya pine, the patterns in a dragonfly wing; fern trees, palm trees, all those shapes’.
He chose to showcase the design of the coloured inlays on the shields to reference the ancient stained glass in the Abbey Church and the Museum.
Over the Easter school holidays, as part of the project, Lyndon will present Cultural Awareness workshops at the Abbey Museum and cultural tours to Sandstone Point to learn more about the fish traps and the dolphin calling point.
Michael Strong, Senior Curator at the Abbey Museum said: “We wanted this project to show our respect for First Nations Cultural Protocols and to create awareness and a sense of cultural appreciation among our visitors, booked school groups and school holiday family groups.”
The shields have been cast in bronze and are a striking sculptural statement to attract the attention of visitors and tourists. They stand 2.6 metres and 2 metres tall.
Ann Baillie, Vice-Chair of the Abbey Board says ‘‘the acknowledgement to all our visitors that the Abbey Museum is on Kabi Kabi land is a sign of respect for the custodianship of Kabi Kabi people in caring for Country over thousands of years. I hope that the sculpture designed by Lyndon Davis will encourage all our visitors to think about First Nations art, culture and history, the oldest surviving continuous culture on earth, as they enter a Museum that houses collections from around the world, dating back a million years.”
John Waldron, Blue Sky View, who curated the collaboration between Lyndon Davis and the renowned Queensland public artist and fabricator, Russell Anderson, Art + Design, said: “We believe this high-quality public art project will have a lasting legacy for Southeast Queensland as the region invites the world in for the 2032 Olympics.”
Watch full opening ceremony video below
Duration: 43 mins 52 seconds
This project was supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland including through the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF).
The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the City of Moreton Bay to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.