15 August - 19 October 2008

The innovations occurring in Indigenous fibre practice, is nothing short of revolutionary. ReCoil: Change and Exchange in Coiled Fibre Art explores the influences underpinning some of the most recent and often dramatic changes to contemporary Indigenous fibre art happening in many parts of Australia. Central to the show is the coiled basketry technique and the way it has spread and diversified, establishing new fibre movements in a range of remote Aboriginal communities. This basketry technique was traditionally practiced by Aboriginal people of south-east Australia, and was transplanted by missionaries many years ago to Arnhem Land. More recently, it was introduced via workshops to the women of the desert regions of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. Just like the desert paintings movement, this new fibre movement has continued to spread rapidly along lines of kinship and via skills exchanges, and is now practiced throughout the remote regions of the Northern Territory and Western Australia as far west as the Pilbara, south to Kalgoorlie and through the northern regions down to Coober Pedy in South Australia. As the weavers travel, the influence of coiling keeps expanding.

The spread of coiling highlights the rich legacy of inter-cultural exchange behind the coiling movement, the exhibition profiles the work of twelve Indigenous artists and three Australian textile artists who have worked together with their Aboriginal peers: including two well-known South Australian weavers, Yvonne Koolmatrie from Berri and Niningka Lewis from Ernabella.

The show has a wide range of both conventional baskets and quirky, two and three dimensional innovative sculptures, including a smaller version of the Grass Toyota that won the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2005.

Curated by Margie West, together with Indigenous Curator Karen Mills, ReCoil is a major touring exhibition by Artback Northern Territory Arts and will be touring nationally until late 2009. The exhibition has been sponsored by Visions of Australia with support also from the Northern Territory Government as well as Rio Tinto/ERA.