On this episode I’m joined by Daniel Boyd as we discuss his newly commissioned work presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as, what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage.

Born in 1982 in Cairns Australia, Daniel Boyd is one of Australia’s most highly regarded artists. In 2014, Boyd became the first indigenous artist to win the prestigious Bulgari Art Prize, for his work, Untitled (2014), that referenced Australia’s long but little known history of slavery. The painting is both a personal and social account of history, Pentecost Island was home to Daniel’s great, great paternal grandfather before he was taken as slave to the sugarcane fields in Queensland. Through his artistic practice, he seeks to negotiate the identity of art, history and cultural survival through his investigations of oppressed and colonial culture. Daniel has been showing in Australia and internationally since 2005, and he participated in the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, as curated by Okwui Enwezor.

In this episode, Daniel discusses his installation for the Sharjah Biennial 16 and his use of black vinyl to create an immersive environment in the iconic star-shaped building, The Flying Saucer. He talks about his artistic approach, which engages with the history of modernism, the built environment, and First Nations Australian perspectives on placemaking. He also reflects on his responsibility as an Aboriginal artist to share his people's stories and how art can offer a counter-narrative to Australia's oppressive history. He elaborates on the importance of art in slowing down and engaging deeply, mentioning influences like the American artist Bruce Nauman and the Martinican literary titan and influential philosopher, Edouard Glissant. 

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