Agency acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Sovereign Custodians of the land on which we live and work. We extend our respects to their Ancestors and all First Nations peoples and Elders past, present, and future.
Agency is pleased to be back to Darwin for our annual UNTOLD Darwin talks program. This year we are thrilled to be partnering with the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) to present an extended program, spanning from Wednesday 6th – Sunday 10th August.
Curated by Mayatili Marika and Leila Gurruwiwi, UNTOLD Darwin brings together leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, creatives, cultural leaders and academics for a weekend of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led conversation and connection.
Join us for a week of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling, discussion and exchange.
UNTOLD Darwin 2023, photo by Tim Hillier
Hannah Presley and Shanysa McConville, UNTOLD Darwin 2024, image courtesy of Agency
UNTOLD Darwin 2025 Program
Wednesday 6 AugustSustainability and Design
9.00am UNTOLD Opening
9.15am First Nations Fashion Futures
Contemporary and sustainable expressions through design. Presented in collaboration with Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP)
11.00am Sustainability and Reuse in Creative Practice
The circularity of First Nations design solutions
Thursday 7 AugustCo-Designing Futures
10.00am Shaping Spaces Through Country and Culture
First Nations lenses on co-design and placemaking
1.00pm Elevating and Amplifying Voices
Artists in conversation
Ochre Rocks, photo by Tim Hillier
Friday 8 August -
Curating First Nations Art
10.00am Distance Makes the Art Grow Fonder
The big journey. Presented in collaboration with Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF)
11.30am Holding Space for the Next Generation
Articulating pathways for First Nations curators
2.00pm Championing Indigenous Curators
The changing landscape of curating First Nations art
Saturday 9 August -
Community Histories, Archiving and Memory
10.00am Living Histories
Models for digital preservation of archives in communities
1.00pm Celebrating 10 Years of Country to Couture
Presented in collaboration with Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP)
2.00pm Crayon Drawings from Birrundudu & Yirrkala
Exploring the past, present and future of the Berndt Collection
Melbourne Design Week 2025, photo by Tim Hillier
Meet our hosts & facilitators
Mayatili Marika, General Manager - First Nations Culture, Strategy and Partnerships
Mayatili Marika (she/her) is a Rirratjingu Traditional Owner and Yolŋu woman based in North-East Arnhem Land. Part of a new generation of leadership for Yolŋu people, Mayatili is a bilingual leader and advocate who is involved in the education pipeline for Yolŋu people in the region.
Mayatili belongs to one of the great artistic and political dynasties of Australia. Her father is Wandjuk Marika O.B.E. and her grandfather is Mawalan Marika.
Mayatili has been working closely with major domestic and international art institutions such as National Gallery of Australia, the Met in New York, and many commercial galleries in Australia and the US, as a curator of exhibitions, including the recent groundbreaking and critically acclaimed travelling exhibition Madayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala. She has been the Cultural Curator and programmer of the Garma Festival, for over a decade in North East Arnhem Land.
Leila Gurruwiwi, Cultural Liaison and Public Programs Lead
Leila Gurruwiwi (she/her) is a multi-talented individual with a diverse range of skills and expertise. She is a proud Yolŋu woman, originally from Galiwinku on Elcho Island in North East Arnhem Land, NT. Leila has called the lands of the Kulin Nation and Victoria home since she was very young. She has deep rooted connections to Dja Dja Wurrung Country having grown up in Bendigo as well as familial ties to Taungurung and Wamba Wamba Country through her extended adopted Koorie family.
She is a media personality, a captivating presenter, a talented actor, a cultural ambassador, and a knowledgeable mentor. Leila’s passion for raising awareness, embracing cultural heritage, and fighting for a more inclusive and united society is truly remarkable. She is an inspiration to all, particularly in her tireless efforts to create a safe environment for minority groups. Leila now lives, works and thrives on Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Country.
Michelle Maynard
First
Nations Fashion Futures | Wednesday 6 August
Michelle is a Tasmanian Aboriginal designer, a project manager and facilitator within a community development, capacity building and therapeutic context.
Since re-training in Fashion Design, Project Management and Transpersonal Psychology in the last 15 years, she has established a design practice and strong professional reputation for her creative practice, project management capabilities, her capacity to facilitate groups, and design culturally safe programs integrating a therapeutic lens.
Passionate about advocating for her people and country through art and design, Michelle’s love lies with fashion and textiles. Michelle is a leading collaborator with Walantanalinany Palingina, a key Tasmanian Aboriginal Multi Arts Initiative, and central to the emergence of First Nations Fashion and Textile Design in Tasmania.
The Manager of Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP) with the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation since 2022, Michelle leads the IFP suite of national programs and events contributing significant change to the Australian fashion landscape.
Troy Casey
Shaping Spaces Through Country and Culture | Thursday 7 August
Troy is a proud Kamilaroi man and the Managing Director of Blaklash, an Aboriginal design consultancy focused on highlighting the importance of Country-centred design to deliver culturally responsive and inclusive places.
With a profound dedication to community development, his work sets a benchmark for community engagement and social innovation, emphasising the critical role design plays in creating positive social change by leveraging economic opportunities within the built environment.
By integrating traditional knowledge and contemporary design principles, Troy plays a pivotal role in collaborating with communities to ensure their voices are embedded in urban design and placemaking projects.
Sophie Gerhard
Holding Space for the Next Generation | Friday 8 August
Sophie Gerhard is a curator and academic based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her ancestors are from all corners of the globe, including the Wiradjuri peoples of Central New South Wales, as well as those who have lived in Germany, England and Scandinavia. Currently, Sophie is curator of Australian and First Nations Art at the NGV where she is currently curating and an exhibition titled MOTHER, as well as Guest Curator for an exhibition focusing on gum trees at the Potter Museum of Art, titled Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree. Sophie is also a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, researching the impact of shame in the creation and curation of Australian art.
Hannah Presley
Elevating and Amplifying Voices | Thursday 7
August
Hannah Presley is the Senior Curator, Museums and Collections at the University of Melbourne. From 2019-2021 Presley was curator of Indigenous art at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Previous to this role, she was the inaugural Yalingwa curator at Australian Centre for Contemporary Art where she curated ‘A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness’, and the First Nations Assistant Curator for Tracey Moffatt at the 57th Venice Biennale, working alongside curator Natalie King. Presley has worked in curatorial roles with the Koorie Heritage Trust, Footscray Community Arts Centre and Craft Victoria, also initiating and coordinating the Victorian Aboriginal Weaving Project.
Presley’s curatorial practice focuses on the development of creative projects with Aboriginal artists. She works closely with artists, learning about the techniques, history and community that inform their making to help guide her curatorial process, and drawing on inspiration from her early roles working at Warumpi Arts, with Papunya Community, Iltja Ntjarra, Many Hands and other Central Australian Art Centres.
John Carty
Crayon Drawings from Birrundudu & Yirrkala | Saturday 9 August
John Carty has worked with Aboriginal artists and communities for 25 years. He has worked extensively with Aboriginal custodians on art, history, museum and repatriation projects. Some of these projects become books, like Balgo: Creating Country (2021), Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation (2015) and Ngaanyatjarra: art of the Lands (2012) and Sun & Shadow: art of the Spinifex people (2023). Other projects become exhibtions, like Yiwarra Kuju: the Canning Stock Route (2010), and Yidaki: didjeridu and the sound of Australia (2017). His latest book is Birrundudu Drawings (2025) which explores 800 historical drawings in the Berndt Museum collection. John has served on the National Commission for UNESCO. He is currently Professor of Museum and Curatorial Studies at Adelaide University.
Coby Edgar,
Living Histories | Saturday 9 August
Coby Ann Edgar is Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) First Nations curator, writer and presenter living and working on unceded Gadigal land in Redfern, Sydney. One of Australia’s most dynamic curators, Coby has worked across government arts and education institutions for over a decade, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Powerhouse Museum.
Special Event, Sunday 10 AugustCurator’s Tour of Darwin
This year, we have an exciting addition to the much loved talk series and are pleased to introduce a Curator’s Tour of a selection of First Nations exhibitions, taking place around town.
Led by the wonderful Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) curator and friend of Agency, Coby Edgar, this two-part tour, on Sunday 10th August, will feature a selection of satellite exhibitions from across Garramilla / Darwin. Join Coby for a morning in Parap and an afternoon session at the Darwin Waterfront. For an immersive experience, we encourage guests to book both sessions to fill their ‘art’ cup. All participants are invited to finish the day from 3pm for afternoon drinks and nibbles on the deck at Outstation Gallery.
Morning Session, 10am Parap
The morning tour begins at NCCA with a viewing of Of Smoke & Rain, and artist talk with Jenna Lee and Coby Edgar. Followed by an exclusive viewing of Kimberley Stockmen at Laundry Gallery and Djulpan - From the Stars at Outstation Gallery. This is a ticketed event, more info via the QR code.
* Program subject to change
Afternoon Session, 1.30pm
The afternoon tour will commence at the SALON des Refusés pop up at the Darwin Waterfront, and finish at the new Outstation Gallery with a private viewing and afternoon drinks and nibbles.
What’s on
Image courtesy of Agency
SALON des Refusés
SALON des Refusés is an annual exhibition celebrating the incredible talent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Each year work that entered but was not accepted into the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards features. The quality demonstrates the superb standard of art being created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists nationwide. The exhibition also provides valuable insight into where the movement has come from and where it is heading.
Outstation Gallery - 6002, 7 Anchorage Court Darwin Waterfront and Waterfront pop-up space
Official Opening: 5pm, Wednesday 6th August
Exhibition Runs: 1st - 16th August
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm
Now in its 13th year, this standout event is returning to the Darwin Waterfront to celebrate the talent of First Nations artists from across the country, whose work was submitted, but not selected into the NATISAAs.
Image courtesy the Outstation Gallery
Motorbike Paddy Ngal
Outstation Gallery - 6002, 7 Anchorage Court Darwin Waterfront
Official Opening: 5pm, Wednesday 6th August
Exhibition Runs: 1st - 16th August
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Recent paintings by the renowned artist Motorbike Paddy Ngal.
“Arrarntenh. That old man’s painting it. It’s the same like arnwekety but it’s the first one. Growing like a strong tree. That tree made all the rest. All the bush plums growing all over. The seeds came from that first one.”
Muuki Taylor
Outstation Gallery - 6002, 7 Anchorage Court Darwin Waterfront
Official Opening: 5pm, Wednesday 6th August
Exhibition Runs: 1st - 16th August
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Muuki Taylor was born c.1945 at Wayinkurangu, a waterhole in the Percival Lakes region in remote Western Australia. He is a Martu Pujiman (born in the desert) and a respected lawman. His paintings are informed by his profound understanding of the cultural, biological, and geographical aspects of his country.
The Rictors
George Brown Darwin Botanic GardensGilruth Ave & Gardens Rd, The Gardens
Official Opening: 1:30pm, Thursday 7th August
Exhibition Runs: 7 - 15 August
Gallery Hours:
Daily: 10am - 5pm
*Friday 15th: 10am - 3pm
The Rictors is an exhibition celebrating the extraordinary art and story of Mick, Ian, and Noli Rictor - three brothers who belonged to the last uncontacted family of hunter gatherers who were reunited with family by an Anangu-led expedition in 1986.
Djulpan - From the Stars, Dhalmula Burarrwaŋa
Outstation Gallery - Upstairs at 8 Parap Place, Parap
This exhibition celebrates an ancient songline, showcasing the celestial Djulpan constellation. It follows the journey of the seven sisters after the Wet season. Dhalmula, granddaughter of Roy Marika, is part of a renowned artistic lineage. Both her art and heritage are deeply rooted in the stars.
Tiwi Ningani (Tiwi Today)
Tactile Arts Gallery - 19 Conacher St, The Gardens
Official Opening: 2pm, Friday 8th August
Exhibition Runs: 8 - 16 August
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 5pm Saturday: 10am - 2pm
This exhibition presents nine Tiwi male artists from Ngaruwanajirri, showcasing contemporary artworks rooted in tradition. Using local materials, ochres, and modern tools, their carvings and paintings reflect cultural continuity, innovation, and life in Wurrumiyanga. Tiwi design, storytelling, and responses to colonisation shape these unique expressions of enduring heritage.
Outstation Gallery - 6002, 7 Anchorage Court Darwin Waterfront
Official Opening: 5pm, Wednesday 6th August
Exhibition Runs: 1st - 16th August
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Conrad brings his gestural jilamara (ochre designs) to both linen paintings, and for the first time a significant collection of purrungbarri (stringybark). Tipungwuti applies locally sourced earth pigments to create innovative compositions that draw on the circular motifs of Kulama (Tiwi coming of age ceremony) and yirrinkiripwoja (ceremonial body design).
Of Smoke & RainJenna Mayilema Lee
Northern Centre for Contemporary Art (NCCA) - 3 Vinyl Lane, Parap
Official Opening: 6.00pm, Tuesday 5th August
Exhibition Runs: 6 August - 27 September
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Friday: 10 - 4pm
*Saturday: 8am - 2pm
Of Smoke and Rain marks the debut major solo exhibition of Jenna Mayilema Lee, a Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman, and Karrajarri Saltwater woman.
Spanning five years of practice, the exhibition brings together new and existing works that reflect Lee’s ongoing exploration of language, materiality, and the transformation of inherited histories. Lee explores the elemental forces that shape life in the tropical north, reflecting on the cyclical nature of the seasons, centering on moments of transformation, when the first rains break the build-up, and when life returns after fire. Anchored by a new installation that evokes shifts brought by these first rains, Of Smoke and Rain also presents a second body of work that speaks to renewal and regeneration after fire.
Jenna Mayilema Lee, Archive of an Invasive Native, 2020, Dual channel video projection, Dimensions variable, animation by Sai Karlen, courtesy of NCCA and the artist
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA)
MAGNT, Darwin
Official Opening: 6pm, Friday 8th August Exhibition Runs: 21 June 2025 - 26 Jan 2026
Gallery Hours: 10am - 4pm daily
The 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) is a celebration of contemporary Indigenous art.
Held as the sun sets on Larrakia Country, the Telstra NATSIAA Awards Ceremony celebrates the artistic practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Now in its 42nd year, the Awards Ceremony will honour some of the most talented established and emerging artists in the country.
Bring your picnic rug and arrive early to secure a good position for the awards ceremony.
Kimberley Stockmen
Laundry Gallery, 1/1 Vickers St, Parap NT
Official Opening: Kimberley Stockmen, 10am, Saturday 9 August Gallery Hours: Wed-Fri: 10:00am - 4:00pm, Saturday 8:30am - 2:00pm
For generations, Walmajarri, Bunuba, Gooniyandi, and Wangkatjungka people have lived and worked on cattle stations across the Kimberley. Their horsemanship, station work, and deep knowledge of Country were foundational to the success of the pastoral industry, yet their stories remain largely untold.
This exhibition, developed in collaboration with Mangkaja Arts, brings to the forefront the stories of former stockmen and women - now celebrated artists - through bold, contemporary works in cowhide, buffalo horn, metal sculpture, works on paper + canvas, and hand-painted hats.
It celebrates resilience, skill, and cultural continuity - and the enduring legacy of those who worked the land and rode with pride.
Kimirrakinari (The Season of Smoke)
Reflection Room, DoubleTree by Hilton
Official Opening: 10am, Friday 8th August
Exhibition Runs: 7 - 10 August
Gallery Hours: 10am - 5pm
Kimirakkinari unites artists from Munupi Arts and Crafts Association and Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association—two Tiwi-owned and governed non-profit art centres based in the communities of Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti on Melville Island. This annual exhibition showcases the breadth of Tiwi artistry across multiple generations, presenting outstanding new works by both emerging and senior artists. Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to meet the artists and experience the dynamic tradition of ‘Yoi’ (dance) at the opening celebration on Friday 8 August.
Internationally renowned for their contemporary expressions, Tiwi artists draw inspiration from ‘jilamara’ (body painting designs), clan totems, and Tiwi creation stories. Using natural ochres on linen, canvas, stringy bark, and ironwood, they create striking works that reflect deep cultural traditions.
Presented by Munupi Arts and Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association
Image courtesy of Darwin Festival
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF)
Darwin Convention Centre, Darwin Waterfront
Event Runs: 7 - 10 August
Opening Night: 5.30pm Thursday 7th August, *Tickets available online
Friday: 10 - 4pm
Saturday: 10 - 5pm
Sunday: 10 - 4pm
Meet with artists and ethically purchase artwork direct from over 75 Indigenous owned Art Centres from Australia’s most remote desert and coastal regions, to rural and urban communities.
DAAF is FREE to attend, and 100% of all sales made go directly back to support the artists and their communities.
They’ll also be returning with DAAF Online for those unable to join us on Larrakia Country.
Image courtesy of Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation
Country to Couture
Tuesday 5 August, 4pm and 7pm
* tickets available online
Experience a runway like no other! Country to Couture is where First Nations textiles, fashion and art collide in a colourful showcase of creativity from across Australia. Brought to you by Indigenous Fashion Projects, the runway is proudly supported by the Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company and iconic Australian lifestyle brand Country Road.
National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA’s)
Wednesday 6 August, 6pm
* tickets available online
Attend the prestigious awards ceremony under the stars, celebrating Indigenous excellence and innovation in fashion and textiles.
Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, designers, Art Centres and creatives across a number of categories, the NIFA is a community event not to be missed!
National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA’s)
Saturday 9 August, 7pm
* tickets available online
Gardens Amphitheatre, George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens
Celebrating 21 years of recognising the talent and achievements of First Nations music and musicians.
Darwin Festival 2025
7 - 24th August 2025
Various locations across Darwin
Darwin Festival is Australia’s hottest winter arts festival, set in the heart of the Northern Territory on Larrakia land. This unmissable celebration brings together the spirit of the Top End with a vibrant program of arts, culture, food, stories, dancing, and laughter to fill your heart, mind, and soul.
Midpul Art Gallery at CDU
Wednesday - Friday, 10 am - 4 pm and Saturday 10 am - 1 pm Danala Campus, Darwin City
Midpul Art Gallery presents a program of exhibitions in its state-of-the-art gallery located at the new Danala campus, currently showing - RAŊIPUY: The beach is breathing.
Coffee and Dining
SweetBrew & Co, Stuart Park
Ray’s Cafe & Patisserie, Darwin City
Roma Bar, Darwin City
Laneway, Parap
Moorish Cafe, Darwin City
Rendezvous Cafe, Darwin City
Ella by Minoli, Darwin City
Meraki, Darwin City
Alfonsino, Darwin City
Chow, Darwin Waterfront
Hanumans, Darwin City
Bars
Stone House Wine Bar & Kitchen
Darwin City
Darwin Ski Club, Fannie Bay
Darwin Sailing Club, Fannie Bay
Markets
Mindil Beach Sunset Market, Thursdays and Sundays from 4pm
Parap Village Markets, Saturdays 8 - 2pm
Nightcliff Markets, Sundays from 8am - 2pm
Rapid Creek Markets
Saturdays and Sundays 7am - 2pm
Presented in partnership with:
Supporters of our 2025 program:
Ned Grant, Spinifex Arts Projects, photo by Tim Hillier
