On Country: Photography from Australia Exhibition

This landmark exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles features 17 Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists and collectives exploring aspects of being ‘on Country’ – a term embodied by First Peoples in Australia to describe the lands, waterways, seas and cosmos to which they are connected.

Curated by PHOTO Australia Founder/Artistic Director Elias Redstone, Guest Curator Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta), and PHOTO Australia Curators Pippa Milne and Brendan McCleary, ‘On Country: Photography from Australia’ highlights the depth and diversity of photographic practice in Australia to new international audiences.

Supported by the Australian Government through the International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund, the Bowness Family Foundation, and the French Australian Cultural Exchange Foundation (FACEF). Additional support by the Australian Embassy, France and the French Embassy in Australia, and Michael & Emily Tong.

Tony Albert (Kuku Yalanji) & David Charles Collins
Ying Ang
Atong Atem
Elisa Jane Carmichael (Ngugi/Quandamooka) & Sonja Carmichael (Ngugi/Quandamooka)
Maree Clarke (Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung)
Michael Cook (Bidjara)
Brenda L Croft (Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra)
J Davies
Liss Fenwick
Adam Ferguson
Robert Fielding (Yankunytjatjara/Western Arrernte peoples)
The Huxleys (Gumbaynggirr/Yorta Yorta)
Ricky Maynard (Pakana)
Lisa Sorgini
Tace Stevens (Noongar/Spinifex)
wani toaishara
James Tylor (Kaurna)

The artwork Warakurna Superheroes #1 has been selected by Arles Festival Director Christoph Wiesner as the hero image for the 2025 festival, providing major exposure through the festival’s branding, marketing, and signage – a testament to the significance of the On Country: Photography from Australia exhibition.

The series is produced in collaboration with children from a remote First Peoples community in the Northern Territory depicting Indigenous children with handmade costumes dressing up as superheroes and posing against the dramatic outback landscapes of their hometown, Warakurna.