Wild Dog is an immersive installation and exhibition exploring the importance of one of Australia’s most misunderstood but significant cultural symbols – the dingo.

Presented as part of Tarnanthi and hosted at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, the exhibition will run from Friday 15 July until Saturday 20 August 2022 and showcase the artistic materials that have been created by artists and communities across five Nations: Narungga (SA), Kaurna (SA), Lardil (QLD) Kaiadilt (QLD), and Bunun (Taiwan).

What will be the first artistic outcome of a multi-year cultural maintenance and revival project, that will connect the Dingo story from Kaurna and Narungga country in South Australia to Lardil Country in Mornington Island, including cultural links stretching to the Wild Dog story for the Bunun people from Taiwan.

The project, conceived and artistically directed by Kaurna/Narungga artist Jacob Boehme, has been created to preserve and maintain the Wild Dog story. Often renegaded as a pest to farmers, the Dingo is a significant living figure in First Nations’ cultures and an important presence within the Australia ecological system. Jacob hopes to bridge audiences to historic and contemporary relationships between First Nations people and the dingo, showing how humans and dog have and should continue to live together.

The exhibition will feature film, film animation, puppetry, dance, song and immersive art works from renowned artists: Jacob Boehme, Sonya Rankine, James Henry, Kaine Sultan Babij, Tjarutja First Nations Dance Collective, Netta Loogatha, Roxanne Thomas, Dick Roughsey, Aluaiy Kaumakan and Biung Ismashan from the Kaurna, Narungga, Ngarrindjeri, Ngadjuri, Wirangu, Yorta Yorta, Yuin, Yuwaalaraa, Gamilaraay, Eastern Arrernte, Gurindgi, Lardil, Kaiadilt and Bunun peoples of Australia and Taiwan. The works connect on a central theme of the importance of the Wild Dog to their respective communities and culture.

A public program of panels talks, and workshops has been scheduled during the exhibition. The aim is to further explore themes within the work and allow audiences to advance the conversation. You can find out more here. There is also activities for the July school holidays for children, check that out here.

An education curriculum resource has been developed to encouraged school to participate and engage with the exhibition. Shadow Puppet workshops will be available for schools, bookings are essential and more information about school visits can be found here. 

A culmination of multiple cultures and multi-disciplinary art forms that carries forward 60,000 years of oral story telling, Wild Dog will be a beautiful and visceral multi-media event open to all ages.

Event Schools Program Creative Team Background of the project