Indian Ocean Cultures: A Call and Response Across the Sea
From 6 February to 3 May, the John Curtin Gallery at Curtin University hosts the free exhibition A Call and Response Across the Ocean, a powerful cultural meeting point for the Indian Ocean world. Bringing together artists from South Africa, Indonesia, and Australia, the exhibition goes beyond visual art to create a space of dialogue, memory, and reconnection.
At its core is the work of South African artist Thania Petersen, whose practice is deeply shaped by the layered histories of the Indian Ocean. Descended from an Indonesian prince brought to South Africa during colonial times, she uses textiles, sound, scent, and performance to reclaim silenced narratives and reconnect fragmented cultural histories.
Her major sound work Jeiker (2026), developed with Yolŋu and Makassan musicians, links Makassar, northern Australia, and Cape Town through voices and rhythms, transforming historical trauma into a gesture of friendship and cultural healing.
The exhibition also explores the long-standing ties between Australia and Indonesia, particularly through Dhomala, where historic pandanus sails, contemporary artworks, films, and drawings reveal centuries of cultural exchange that existed long before colonial borders.
Through immersive installations, music and moving images, the Indian Ocean appears not as a boundary but as a pathway of return — a shared space where memories travel, identities reconnect, and cultures meet. Ultimately, the exhibition offers a hopeful vision of a world built on empathy, collaboration, and the power of art to unite across oceans.
More information on: www.perthfestival.com.au/program/season-2026/thania-petersen
