The Art, Voice & Justice Exhibition: ‘Aquawhen II?‘ was organised from 22 March to 25 March 2022. The purpose of the exhibition was to showcase the ‘voice’, art and the lived experience of the people living in far western New South Wales in 2019. The exhibition featured the words of 33 residents of Menindee and Wilcannia who gave testimonies before the 2019 Citizens’ Inquiry on the Health of the Barka-Darling River and Menindee Lakes. Their words, and the images that they represent as developed by artists Rix Lee and Tom Horne, were featured in full-sized visualisations. The exhibition also included 9 paintings of Glenn Loughrey; 8 haiku calligraphy pieces (words by Maurice Nevile with calligraphy by Jill Robertson); a video of 2019-20 of the Barka-Darling (created by Otis Filley & Dan Schulz) including the sounds of the Barka-Darling and the relationships between water and life; and ‘Justice Posters’ based on the selected research of some members of the Water Justice Hub.
Water Justice Hub Convener Professor Quentin Grafton, Dr Michelle Maloney from the Australian Earth Laws Alliance, artist Glenn Loughrey and Dan Schulz have shared their thoughts about the exhibition and water.
Professor R. Quentin Grafton FASSA, Australian Laureate Fellow, Convenor of the Water Justice Hub, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Dr Michelle Maloney, Co-Founder & National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA)
Rev. Canon Glenn Loughrey, a proud Wiradjuri Man, artist, writer and Anglican Minister
Dan Schulz – PhD Candidate, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University