Design and Art Australia Online

The exhibition was conceived in 2009 by Dr. Davide Sandrini of STart Management in Italy who approached the Arts Ministry in Italy for advice on who to contact in Australia for the supply of Aboriginal artwork.

Maria Sanciollo – Bell, who was well known to the Director of the Italian Institute of Culture was approached and she in turn made contact with Hans Sip for advice.

The brief was was to put together a large collection of Australian Aboriginal artworks and artifacts representing all the states and reflecting the diversity of styles, materials and stories of the Aboriginal peoples.

Maree Clarke of the Koori Heritage Trust was approached by Hans Sip to be the curator of the exhibition and the selection process commenced. Dr. Sandrini and three colleagues flew out from Italy in November 2009 to assist in the catalogueing and further selection of pieces.

The end result was an exhibtion of over 300 items which had a working title of Gori – Illa or The Rainbow Serpent. It was later changed to Lo Spirito Della ' Arte Aboriginal or Dreamtime when shown at the MAN Museum at Nuoro.

Government funding was sought in Australia for the curatorial work and to send a group of of eight artists to the opening in Italy.
Ultimately no support was granted and the entire financial burden of funding the exhibition in Italy of some $720000 rested on the Italian Government and Dr. Sandrini.

Sufficient funds were raised to have Billy Doolan open the exhibition with a traditional smoking ceremony and he was the guest of honour together with Maree Clarke and Amanda Reynolds who came on board later as co curator. Billys’ 22 works are the major single contribution to the exhibition out of the 90 artists or so represented. The show is the largest Australian Aboriginal art exhibition to have been shown in a public museum overseas.

Ten artist from Victoria, Tasmania and NSW loaned their own works to the exhibition totalling 31 pieces. A further 30 pieces were loaned to MAN Museum by Adam Williams and Hans Sip of Three Brothers Gallery Pty Ltd contrbuted the remaining 270 items.

The exhibition has been endorsed by the Australian Embassy in Rome, The Australian Institute of Culture, Melbourne and His Excellency Marco Panacotta, The Italian Consul General to Australia.