proppaNOW

proppaNOW is a Brisbane-based Aboriginal artists’ collective founded in 2003. The group was established to provide a platform for urban Aboriginal artists to challenge stereotypes and assert their cultural identity. The collective engages in various art forms, including visual arts, performance, and public interventions, using art as a tool for social commentary and advocacy. proppaNOW’s work addresses issues related to colonization, Indigenous rights, identity, and representation, promoting Indigenous voices in contemporary Australian art. Notable members include Richard Bell, Tony Albert, and Vernon Ah Kee.

City

Queensland

Country

Australia

Region

Oceania

Year of Creation

2003

Featured Project

Ocurrent Affair (2021)

OCCURRENT AFFAIR is a major exhibition featuring new and recent works by Brisbane-based Aboriginal artist collective proppaNOW, following a five-year hiatus for individual career focus.

Established in 2003, proppaNOW is one of Australia’s leading cultural collectives, exploring the politics of Aboriginal art and culture while provoking, subverting, and rethinking what it means to be a ‘contemporary Aboriginal artist’.

Conceived as a collaborative activist gesture, OCCURRENT AFFAIR addresses current socio-political, economic, and environmental issues, celebrating the strength, resilience, and continuity of Aboriginal culture.

The exhibition reflects on ongoing issues affecting Aboriginal communities—relevant to all Australians.

proppaNOW’s Instagram

Resources

Neale, M. (2010). Learning to be proppa Aboriginal artists’ collective, proppaNOW. Artlink, 30(1), 36-41.

Geczy, A., Cope, M., Bell, R., McFarlane, J., & Albert, T. (2014). Insurgence at the museum of democracy: An interview. Art Monthly Australia, (266), 13-15.

Masters, H. G. (2023). proppaNOW. ArtAsiaPacific Almanac, 18, 53-53.

More Information

proppaNOW’s Wikipedia page

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