WADAWURRUNG land will be on a global art stage at the 2024 La Biennale di Venezia, known in English as the Venice Biennale.<\/p>\n
Gordon-based artist and Wadawurrung traditional owner Marlene Gilson has been commissioned by Creative Australia to showcase a collection of her works in the Australia Pavilion of the international cultural exhibition.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy paintings are all showcasing Ballarat, Geelong, and Moorabool,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the stories in them are from around Ballarat, and of my people doing their everyday jobs and living their everyday life. I love the goldfields.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe theme of the biennale is \u2018foreigners everywhere,\u2019 and my work fits in with the exhibition because in my paintings I have the Chinese, the Italians, and everybody on the goldfields.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting. The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest art events in the world and it\u2019s an honour to represent my country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gilson\u2019s pieces are set to be shown in the pavilion from Saturday 20 April to Sunday 24 November, alongside the works of Maymuru-White, Archie Moore and Ellie Buttrose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m nervous about going, but Creative Australia have been supportive, and they will look after us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Gilson will head over to Italy in April to visit the biennale and see her works on display.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s mind-blowing,\u201d she said. \u201cYou sort of think, \u2018is this real?\u2019 Until now, I didn\u2019t believe it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all new to me. I\u2019ve been on an aeroplane once before, which was to Sydney.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2021, Gilson was in Sydney to see her painting, Ballarat, My Country, projected on the sails of the opera house as part of the Art Gallery of New South Wales\u2019 150th anniversary project, Badu Gili: Wonder Women.<\/p>\n
She also had an exhibition in Sydney in March last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man from the Venice Biennale came over, he saw my work, and they decided that they would take it over there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WADAWURRUNG land will be on a global art stage at the 2024 La Biennale di Venezia, known in English as the Venice Biennale. Gordon-based artist and Wadawurrung traditional owner Marlene Gilson has been commissioned by Creative Australia to showcase a collection of her works in the Australia Pavilion of the international cultural exhibition. \u201cMy paintings […]<\/p>\n