|
Pillars of Remembrance
March 20–April 25, 2025
D’Lan Contemporary New York
25 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021
New York, New York, March 10, 2025 — D’Lan Contemporary is pleased to announce Pillars of Remembrance, an exhibition of Australian First Nations larrakitj (memorial poles) by six influential Yolŋu contemporary artists of north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The exhibition of 21 intricately designed free-standing poles from the collection of Dennis and Debra Scholl invites visitors to foster a deeper appreciation for the cultural lives and artistic practices of the Yolŋu people. Pillars of Remembrance will open at the gallery’s East 73rd Street location in New York on Thursday, March 20, 2025 and remain on view through April 25, 2025.
Pillars of Remembrance will present larrakitj crafted and designed by contemporary Yolŋu artists Gunybi Gunumbar, Djambawa Marawili, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, Wukun Wan-ambi, Gulumbu Yunupiŋu, and Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu. Previously featured in the exhibition The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles from the Debra and Dennis Scholl Collection at the Nevada Museum of Art in 2019, the memorial poles then toured to three additional venues across North America through January 2021.
Debra and Dennis Scholl, known widely as some of the most preeminent collectors of Australian First Nations art, have been collecting for over forty years. They have contributed their collection to several sizable exhibitions and have gifted works to prominent institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Pérez Art Museum Miami, and The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU in Miami.
The creation of contemporary larrakitj are said to arise from the human desire to shape the natural landscape into a symbolic marker, conveying a message to those who encounter it. Historically, the larrakitj were used to mark ossuaries, the final resting places for the bones of the dead. These memorial poles were decorated with clan designs to identify and protect the spirit of the deceased, then erected at a specific location. However, not every spirit would be granted the honor of such a creation; often, larrakitj were restricted to high-ranking or ritually powerful members of a clan. The term “memorial poles” acknowledges the now-expanded use of larrakitj beyond the mortuary process, moving into a broader ceremonial and cultural role in both Aboriginal society and the contemporary art world.
The gallery hopes Pillars of Remembrance will offer a unique opportunity for a New York audience to engage with this traditional art form, honored and carried forward by contemporary Yolŋu artists. With the increasing interest in larrakitj outside of Australia, D’Lan Contemporary is honored to present this notable collection of contemporary Australian First Nations art and to share these works on behalf of Dennis and Debra Scholl.
ABOUT D’LAN CONTEMPORARY
D’Lan Contemporary was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2016 by art advisor and gallerist, D’Lan Davidson, who was previously Head of Indigenous Art at Sotheby’s Australia and who has specialized in Australian First Nations art for more than twenty years.
Representing Australia’s most distinctive and dynamic art movement, D’Lan Contemporary presents regular exhibitions by leading First Nations artists at its galleries in Melbourne, Sydney and New York, alongside an international program of educational talks and events that celebrate and promote the rich art and culture of the country’s first peoples.
In addition to its international exhibition program, D’Lan Contemporary frequently sources exceptional works of art on behalf of museums, institutions, and noted private collections.
D’Lan Contemporary maintains strict ethical practices and is committed to generating positive industry change to create a sustainable marketplace for this important segment of Australian art and culture. The gallery contributes 30% of its net profits back to First Nations artists and their local communities.
# # #
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES
For International Requests:
Max Kruger-Dull
Tel: +1-212-675-1800
Blue Medium, Inc.
max@bluemedium.com
For Australian Requests:
Nicole Kenning
Tel: +44 7739 519 290
D’Lan Contemporary
nicole@dlancontemporary.com.au
|
