This latest issue of Artlink is a must read and a courageous, timely effort to focus on Australia’s mining industry and links between it and the arts. So, we’re talking large-scale funding of museum exhibitions (like Santos and the Cai Guo-Qiang exhibition at GOMA) as well as art that’s made about mining (like Simryn Gill’s photos of Western Australian mines that she exhibited at the 2013 Venice Biennale).
Of course, the issues reverberate globally. Mining is an age-old human activity, and it’s not going away. The more I learned about the complexity of all the players involved and their concerns and goals, the more I realised it’s more important than ever to keep informed.
I had the opportunity to write for this issue on how international big business in the role of sand mining, First Nation ancient laws of caring for country, the annual Lines in the Sand arts festival and Queensland state politics converge every June school holidays at North Stradbroke Island.
You can read my article below and have a look at the current Artlink issue at http://www.artlink.com.au/issues/3340/mining-gouging-the-country/
polycentrica 