The Blak Infinite: Tony Albert
Aliens have invaded the Atrium in this installation by Tony Albert (Girramay, Yidinyji and Kuku Yalanji) and his collaborator ENOKi. The alien is a common recurring symbol within Tony’s practice, and he uses pop culture iconography as a way of reflecting on and understanding difference.
Hovering above Flinders Street is an image from Tony’s series Crop Circles in Yogya which was developed during a residency in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2016. In this work, Tony collaborated with locals and photographed them wearing farmers’ hats transformed into wearable UFOs, which he later embellished with stickers of widely recognisable symbols. Ideas of otherness or the ‘Alien’ are challenged through the saturation of Western popular imagery present in the work.
The aliens above you gesture to what belonging and alienation mean in Australia today. Tony asks you to question, ‘Who is the alien, why are they here, and what do they want?’
The work encourages you to interact by taking photos of yourself as you are beamed up.
Artworks
Crop Circles in Yogya #5
Location: The Atrium Facade
Courtesy of the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf
2016-17
Beam Me Up, The Art of Abduction
Location: The Atrium
Collaborator: ENOKi (Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta)
Design: Studio Peter King
2024
Fed Square and RISING present The Blak Infinite, co-curated by Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta) and Kate ten Buuren (Taungurung).
Workshops
1, 8 & 15 June, 11am-3pm | The Atrium
Join in the fun of Tony Albert’s BEAM ME UP, The Art Of Abduction, in a series of workshops for children and adults. In this workshop young ones can create their own wearable spaceships, bringing to life the aliens that are visiting Melbourne over RISING.
2 June, 11.30am-12.30pm | The Atrium
Those aged 7 and over can participate in a beading workshop led by Tony Albert and his collaborator ENOKi, and take home your very own wearable out-of-this-world adornment. But be quick – spots are limited!
Hero image credit: BEAM ME UP The Art of Abduction, 2024, courtesy the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf.