3SPACE: 21st Century Indigenous Explorers

About the exhibition
This group exhibition brought together the work of three contemporary Indigenous artists based in Adelaide, connected through their shared association with Tandanya—Australia’s oldest Aboriginal owned and operated cultural institute established in 1989.

Described in the exhibition’s promotional material as ‘artists and storytellers for the 21st century,’ the participating artists presented works engaging themes of reconciliation, cultural pride and survival through endurance, adaptation and innovation.

Darryl Pfitzner Milika freely employs symbolism in his paintings, often incorporating aerial perspectives—a feature of painting traditions of the Western Desert region, where his mother’s people originate. Mark Blackman’s three blackboard works evoke the classroom, addressing subjects such as mathematics, music, history and language; while David Pearce explores personal identity, describing himself as ‘gay, Black and confident (despite the bloody baggage).’

MUMA Online Exhibition Archive
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^{Image: 3SPACE: Twenty-First Century Indigenous Explorers exhibition brochure (detail) featuring Mark Blackman, David Pearce and Darryl Pfitzner Milika}