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Melbourne Museum Presents Ancestral Power and the Aesthetic

The Melbourne Museum in Victoria presents Ancestral Power and the Aesthetic an exhibition on view until 12 Feb 2012

Mundukul (Snake) story and Yirwarra (Fish Trap) 1942 Artist: Mundukul Marawili Arnhem Land paintings and objects from the Donald Thomson Collection.

This exhibition showcases the extraordinary painted works collected from Arnhem Land during the 1930s and 1940s by the Melbourne-based anthropologist, the late Professor Donald Thomson (1901-1970).

Including bark paintings and objects decorated with sacred clan designs.

The paintings featured in this exhibition illustrate the differences in painting styles between Dhuwa and Yirritja clans and between those of central and eastern Arnhem Land.

Ancestral Power and Aesthetic: Arnhem Land paintings and objects from the Donald Thomson Collection was developed by Museum Victoria in association with the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne.

Melbourne Museum explores life in Victoria, from our natural environment to our culture and history.

Located in Carlton Gardens, opposite the historic Royal Exhibition Building, the award-winning Melbourne Museum houses a permanent collection in eight galleries, including one just for children.

Highlights include a complete skeleton of a blue whale, the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, a living rainforest, the racehorse Phar Lap and an IMAX theatre on site. Major international exhibitions are presented in the Touring Hall.

Melbourne Museum Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia Bookings & Enquiries 13 11 02 – museumvictoria.com.au

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