Terra Incognita is an expression that refers to ‘unknown southern land.’ It is an installation composed of 228 painted canvases for the Luciano Benetton Collection to create a landscape that might reflect more of the recent art histories of Australian Aboriginal artists. A collective of additional artworks by influential artists, historically important both locally and internationally, have been identified and reproduced in print, like paper evocations of absent works.

The celebration of Aboriginal painting and figurative expression that is at the centre of our intentions is motivation to fill knowledge gaps and to acknowledge apparent terra incognita.

Perhaps this terra incognita might be engaged to celebrate and expand upon the social territories; the political terrains; and the cultural landscapes that are experienced by Aboriginal communities across the Australian continent.

Text by D Harding