Desert Mob 2023

Araluen Arts Centre Mparntwe, Alice Springs, NT
Exhibition Dates: 7 September - 22 October 2023

In the remote APY lands, beloved mutukas are always traversing the endless red dirt tracks. The glittering and the rusted can be seen tackling the rugged off-road terrain and cruising through the streets of community. The travellers inside may be going to visit family afar, heading out hunting for perentie, or are perhaps on their way to the local waterhole for a swim with the tji tji (children) during the relentless summer heat.

Earlier this year we held a two-week workshop in Amata, SA, where Tjanpi minyma created a collection of works titled Mutuka Rikina! (Flash Car!) for this year’s Desert Mob exhibition.

Mutuka Rikina! celebrates the significant positive impacts that come from motorcars in community. Each work combines rusted metal scraps from the local Amata car graveyard with tjanpi (grass), wire, raffia and wool.

Amata artists teamed together in groups to work on each car, with some of the pieces produced collaboratively by three generations of family members, highlighting the intergenerational sharing of weaving knowledge that commonly takes place across the NPY lands.

The low-riding Holden Commodore, the hardy Toyota Troopy, the robust Holden Rodeo Ute, the NPY Women’s Council Hilux; these distinctive vehicles make up the eclectic and charismatic fleet of bush cars honoured in Mutuka Rikina!.

Narelda Ken with her Desert Mob motorcar, image by Genevieve Harold.

The contributing artists discussed what they regularly get up to on the lands when they have access to a car, and what that freedom means for them. Here were some of their responses:

Desert Mob is showing at Araluen Arts Centre in Mparntwe until 22 October 2023.
If you're not able to visit in person, explore the exhibition digitally here.

The artists involved in creating Mutuka Rikina! includes; Melissa King, Margaret Smith, Louisa Cooley, Danielle Cooley, Maureen Douglas, Naomi Douglas, Julie Anderson, Cynthia Burke, Cassandra Raymond, Ilawanti Ungkutjuru Ken, Anita Pan, Noreen Heffernan, Janet Scotty, Selina Wilton, Cynthia Charra, Maringka Tunkin, Monica King, Narelda Ken, Nyanu Ken, Sandra Ken, Veronica Lewis, and Barbara Moore.

Technical assistance was provided by Emma Franklin, Lucy Smith, Ruby Henderson-Leconte, Genevieve Harold and Mary Barton.