Gamerre – What’s This Museum?

'Gamerre – What’s this museum?' compares Gija approaches to the creation, collection and ownership of cultural objects with those of institutions like the Art Gallery. In considering these institutions and their role in informing society, the late Rusty Peters saw similarities with the Gija concept of Gamerre, the land where all people live, which
is enlivened with rock paintings and is a storehouse for cultural objects.

A Gija toolkit is detailed in this work: different boomerangs, spears, knives, axes, resin and sinew. Alongside this, Peters refers to the water python and king brown snake which are connected to Springvale Station where he was born and spent his early years learning Gija lore and culture. The six ‘thumbnail’-like images are reminiscent of objects stored in individual boxes in cultural institutions. Each has
its own importance, but in combination they contribute to something greater. Peters’ innovative approach, painted with thick ochres from his Country, is a poetic comment
on cultural knowledge and how this is transmitted.