Old Stories, New Ways Exhibiton 2023

About the Exhibition

Stories have been an integral part of human culture for centuries. They are passed down from generation to generation, preserving the history and knowledge of our ancestors. In Indigenous communities, stories play a particularly important role in helping people understand their place in the world and connecting them with their past.

Like people, stories evolve over time. But what's really fascinating is how stories - especially powerful ones - retain their essence and influence as they adapt to new contexts, new audiences, new communities, and different mediums.

“Old Stories, New Ways” is an exhibition that celebrates this evolution.

Featuring artist Daen Sansbury-Smith from Adjadura Art, this exhibition leverages the power of technology to capture 'Old Stories' as told by Elders, community, and family, and presented in 'New Ways' through Augmented Reality art.

The exhibition is being hosted in partnership between Adjadura Art, Portable, and ColourSpace Gallery. Revenue raised from sales will be invested into language revival and cultural art projects with community partners.

From the Artist - Daen Sansbury-Smith (Adjadura Art)

I am passionate about the preservation, continuation and evolution of language, cultural practices and artforms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations languages are awaiting revival, our Elders stories are not being accurately or appropriately documented in-depth, which risks our cultural continuity for present and future generations. Furthermore, it can be difficult for the broader community to gain access to appropriate cultural knowledge.

“Old Stories, New Ways” is an exhibition that seeks to break new ground in how we address these challenges. It represents the culmination of 3 years of multimedia art, language documentation and storytelling. The artwork and stories speak of the resilience of our ancestors to survive ("Old Stories"), and the commitment of the current generations to utilise modern technology to continue and evolve practices, artforms, and identity ("New Ways").

Through this exhibition, my partners and I seek to create new partnerships and opportunities that build on this evolution of storytelling and technology. In doing so, we can create new revenue sources that allow us to reinvest in bringing language fluency and strengthening cultural knowledge for future generations, and developing educational resources for the community.

From Portable

Portable is a purpose-driven research, design, and technology B-Corp that works with Australian businesses, organisations, and government to drive transformational change that has a real impact on real people. At Portable, we firmly believe in the principles of equality, inclusivity, and respect for the diverse voices and cultures that shape our communities and society in Australia.

Part of our mission is to uplift the voices of First Nations people in support of closing the gap and creating transformational change in our communities. We are incredibly grateful to be able to support Daen in the expression of his art and the amazing work he is doing for the community. We look forward to supporting his practice and future community initiatives.

From ColourSpace Gallery

ColourSpace's vision is a world enriched by art. Our mission is to make art accessible, impactful, and sustainable for businesses and organisations.

We resonate with and believe deeply in the work that Daen and Adjadura Art are doing; that make art accessible to different audiences in different ways is fundamental to the evolution of our community, our development, and our culture. This is what we do.

We're proud to support this exhibition and what it stands for, and are here to help Daen and Adjadura Art create the opportunities that will continue to support this important work.