Brisbane's Moreton Bay region once boasted many towering shell middens. Before colonisation, Indigenous people of the area would feast on oysters, whelks, cockles and periwinkles, and their discarded shells built up over time to make layered structures like this one. Over centuries, the shell formations expanded until they stood like monuments across islands and beaches. However, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, construction industries began to burn these middens to make lime mortar.
In 'RE FORMATION' 2019 Megan Cope reconstructs an oyster shell midden out of cast concrete and black copper slag. You can still find some middens on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), the artist’s traditional country, but these are only small remnants of the original masses. Cope hopes that Quandamooka people can one day rebuild the shellfish reefs around Minjerribah and eventually return impressive middens to its shores.
This summer in Brisbane is all about finding somewhere cool to spend the day, surrounded by water. If that sounds like paradise, QAGOMA’s latest summer blockbuster has incredible experiences to make your summer the best yet.
Megan Cope, Quandamooka people, Australia b.1982 / 'RE FORMATION' 2019 / 12 000 pieces of cast-concrete, ilmenite / Purchased 2019 with funds from the Contemporary Patrons through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Megan Cope
From major immersive experiences to smaller-scale treasures by Australian and international artists, ‘Water’ highlights this precious resource and aims to spark conversations on the environmental and social challenges faced by the world today.
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Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane Australia / 7 Dec 2019 - 26 Apr 2020
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
© Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees, 2019
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