The National Gallery of Australia will host a significant exhibition featuring artwork from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in 2026, three years after an independent review cleared the artists of allegations of improper interference. The exhibition, titled "Ngura Pulka – Epic Country," was originally postponed in June 2023 following the emergence of a controversial video that appeared to show a non-Aboriginal assistant helping to paint an artwork.
Following the allegations, the gallery commissioned a comprehensive independent review to examine the provenance of 28 paintings by APY artists that were scheduled to be featured in the exhibition. The investigation, completed in August 2023, found that all paintings met the National Gallery of Australia's strict "provenance standards," which relate to the integrity of artistic production. Significantly, the review determined that the artwork shown in the controversial video was not among the pieces included in the planned exhibition.
The independent reviewers placed "considerable weight" on statements provided by the artists from the APY Art Centre Collective (APYACC), who asserted that the works were entirely their own creations. The review concluded that claims suggesting otherwise had "no proper foundation." The investigators strongly rejected any suggestion that the artists had engaged in deceptive practices, stating: "We strongly reject any implicit or actual suggestion that the artists have been engaged in any cover-up, abandonment of their cultural obligations or dishonest practice by making false claims of authorship in the paintings."
The artists and art centers at the center of the allegations vehemently denied any improper interference throughout the controversy. The APYACC issued a signed statement defending their integrity, declaring: "'White hands on black art' is a false story and it always was." The collective further stated: "We, the artists, who have signed this statement have maintained a dignified silence during a long and painful time when our integrity, our livelihoods, our families, and our art have been under sustained attack."
The upcoming exhibition will showcase large-scale works by senior First Nations artists and art centers from the APY Lands, as well as pieces from Coober Pedy and Tarntanya/Adelaide. This major presentation of Indigenous Australian art represents a significant cultural event that has been years in the making. The exhibition is scheduled to run at the National Gallery of Australia from April 11 to August 23, 2026, providing visitors with an extensive opportunity to experience these important works of contemporary Indigenous art.
