Dark Mofo has today announced its first major project for the 2021 festival.
Union Flag is an artwork by Spanish artist Santiago Sierra. It will see the British flag immersed in the blood of First Nations peoples from territories colonised by the British Empire.
On behalf of the artist, Dark Mofo is inviting people to take part in Union Flag. Expressions of interest are open to First Nations peoples from countries and territories colonised by the British Empire at some point in their history, who reside in Australia. Participants will be required to donate a small amount of blood for the artwork, facilitated by a medical professional before the festival.
Once expressions of interest have closed, one participant will be randomly selected to represent each country (for instance, one person from Canada, one from New Zealand, one from Sudan, one from Fiji etc.). Blood will be drawn from selected participants only. The project isn’t solely focusing on First Nations peoples from Australia, but First Nations peoples from all countries colonised by the British Empire at some point in history.
The flag, once immersed in blood, will be put on display during the festival.
Artist, Santiago Sierra, said in an open letter:
“The First Nations people of Australia suffered enormously and brutally from British colonialism.
Nowhere more so than in Tasmania where the Black War in the early nineteenth century had a devastating impact, almost killing the entire Tasmanian Aboriginal population—an act that has since been defined as genocide.
The intent of this project is against colonialism. It is an acknowledgement of the pain and destruction colonialism has caused First Nations peoples, devastating entire cultures and civilisations. Colonisation by the British Empire is only one example of plundering and conquest, albeit one of the most forceful, both for its geographic reach and for the genocidal methods applied.”
Dark Mofo Creative Director, Leigh Carmichael, said: “We’re pleased to announce the inclusion of Santiago Sierra’s Union Flag in this year’s festival. Sierra’s work is complex, sometimes confronting and much of his work tends to deal with social inequities.
“He was commissioned to present a new work for Dark Mofo and today’s announcement is the result of almost two years of work between his studio and the festival team.”
It’s a logistically difficult project and we are working diligently to ensure we are able to realise the work for the upcoming festival. This call out to First Nations peoples from countries claimed by the British Empire at some point in history to participate is the first public phase of the project. We hope to receive interest from as many people across Australia as possible.
Our full program will be released in early April.”
For more information, read a letter from the artist below.
Register your interest: darkmofo.net.au/blood
Dark Mofo runs from 16–22 June in Hobart, Tasmania.
The full Dark Mofo program will be announced in April 2021.
