This week, the National Art School (NAS) unveils its highly anticipated new exhibition, The Neighbour at the Gate. Opening to the public on 11 July 2025, to coincide with NAIDOC Week, the exhibition will run until 18 October 2025 at the NAS Gallery in Darlinghurst, NSW.
Curated by an esteemed team led by Wardandi (Noongar) and Badimaya (Yamatji) woman Clothilde Bullen OAM, alongside Micheal Do and Whadjuk Balladong and Wilman (Noongar) woman Zali Morgan, this world premiere exhibition delves into the enduring legacies of immigration policies and colonialism in Australia. It explores how these forces continue to shape the experiences and relationships of First Nations and Asian Australian communities.
A Powerful Artistic Collaboration
The Neighbour at the Gate brings together newly commissioned works by six leading contemporary artists: Jacky Cheng, Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson, Dennis Golding, Jenna Mayilema Lee, James Nguyen, and James Tylor. Through their diverse practices, the exhibition examines themes of exclusion, resilience, memory, and nationhood, drawing vital connections between the past and present.
Curator Clothilde Bullen explains, “This exhibition seeks to centre connection between First Nations and Asian Australian cultural groups and raise the level of awareness of those connections, which have existed outside dominant or mainstream culture for as long as humans have come and gone to this continent. By gathering the artists and curators together to tell their stories, we consider the importance of who gets to tell these stories, the archive from which they are drawn, and how they shape perceptions and identities. It is urgent and timely that we offer audiences the opportunity to think deeply about how we frame our national identity, presenting new dialogues about what it means to be an Australian and who we are as a country today.”
Highlights of the Exhibition
The exhibition features a range of thought-provoking works, each offering a unique perspective on the themes of connection, displacement, and cultural identity:
- Jacky Cheng: Cheng’s installation, resembling a traditional Chinese paifang (gate monument), serves as the entry point to the exhibition. Symbolising migration and the regulation of movement, the work invites reflection on the complexities of belonging and the migrant experience.
- Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson: The Iranian-Australian artist presents a moving image and sound work that confronts inherited trauma and the interplay between displacement and belonging. Drawing on Persian epic literature, she reframes pain as a transformative force and love as a journey of reclamation.
- Dennis Golding: Golding’s installation of etched bingo cards evokes personal memories of bingo nights in Redfern, offering a counter-narrative of joy and resilience within Aboriginal communities.
- Jenna Mayilema Lee: Lee’s installation depicts a bangarr (billabong) adorned with lotus plants formed from historical immigration policies. The work meditates on water as a transitional space and symbolises cross-cultural ties between Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
- James Nguyen: Nguyen’s site-specific work uses endangered Agarwood and invasive weeds to highlight economic and environmental issues, connecting histories of chemical warfare with the resilience of Vietnamese migrants.
- James Tylor: Tylor’s daguerreotype photographs and soundscapes draw on his Nunga (Kaurna Miyurna) and M?ori heritage, reimagining First Nations knowledge and language through the calls of Indigenous Australian birds.
Opening Weekend Celebrations
To mark the opening of The Neighbour at the Gate, NAS is hosting a vibrant two-day program of public events on 11 and 12 July. Highlights include artist talks, demonstrations, sound baths, family-friendly workshops, DJs, food trucks, and the Shared Skies music concert. The concert will feature a headline performance by BARKAA, with opener Rainbow Chan and DJ Rocky Stallone.
A Collaborative Effort
National Art School Director and CEO Dr Kristen Sharp described the exhibition as “an extraordinary artistic project exploring the connections between First Nations and Asian Australian peoples. This exhibition emerges from a generative collaboration between the National Art School, the Curatorium and the artists. It provides a dynamic setting for expanding dialogues around identity, belonging and challenging histories of colonialism.”
Dr Sharp added, “We can’t wait to welcome audiences to the National Art School to see the exhibition and celebrate the opening weekend with a vibrant two-day program of artist talks, workshops, music and more—culminating in a not-to-be-missed concert with BARKAA and Rainbow Chan.”
A Platform for Truth-Telling
NAS Project Co-leads Katrina Cashman and John Waight emphasised the importance of the exhibition, stating, “This is an important project for the National Art School at a critical time in our nation’s history. We are pleased to be able to lead the cultural conversation with truth-telling at the core of this special project.”
The exhibition is proudly supported by the NSW Government through the Blockbusters Funding initiative and is accompanied by a comprehensive publication, learning framework, and public programs.
Exhibition Details
- Title: The Neighbour at the Gate
- Dates: 11 July – 18 October 2025
- Location: NAS Gallery, National Art School, 156 Forbes St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
- More Information: Visit nas.edu.au/the-neighbour-at-the-gate
This landmark exhibition offers a profound exploration of identity, belonging, and the intertwined histories of First Nations and Asian Australian communities. Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with these powerful works and join the conversation about Australia’s past, present, and future.