The name Tarnanthi (pronounced tar-nan-dee) comes from the language of the Kaurna people. It means to come forth or appear – like the sun and the first emergence of light.
From the renowned Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) to numerous partner venues scattered across Adelaide and throughout South Australia, Tarnanthi sets the stage for a vibrant celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. With its finger firmly on the pulse of the art world, Tarnanthi presents a compelling and timely survey of the latest artistic expressions from these diverse Indigenous communities.
Acclaimed across Australia, the Tarnanthi Festival showcases the latest contemporary works by hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the continent. As the central point of the Festival, AGSA presents a nationwide survey that promises ambitious and innovative contemporary art combined with deep reflection on unwavering cultural connections.
Tarnanthi Art Fair
20-22 Oct 2023, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
In addition, the annual Tarnanthi Art Fair returns as a physical event in 2023, after two successful years of being presented online. The Art Fair provides a unique opportunity to meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, learn about their world and ideas, and buy works of art. Exclusive to Adelaide, this popular art event brings together creative works in diverse mediums, produced by hundreds of established and emerging, regional and city-based artists from across Australia.
Importantly, the three-day Art Fair delivers significant economic benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where art production is a vital source of income. All works are made and sold ethically, and all sale proceeds go directly to the artists and their community-run art centres
Vincent Namatjira: Australia in colour
20 Oct 2023 – 21 Jul 2024, AGSA
The first survey exhibition of acclaimed Western Aranda artist Vincent Namatjira. Renowned for producing paintings laden with dry wit, Namatjira has established himself in the past decade as a celebrated portraitist and a satirical chronicler of Australian identity.
Showcasing Namatjira’s flourishing artistic practice, this major exhibition brings together paintings, works on paper and moving images from public and private collections nationwide.