Banksia: Atong Atem

Commissioned by RISING Festival 2021, Atong Atem's first video work, Banksia, explores the lesser-known history of Australia’s first African settlers. 

The video - accompanied by an arresting score by Melbourne composer Petra Salsjö - and photographic series work in conjunction to reveal otherwise obscured layers of history on a cinematic scale.

The works highlight the experience of African men and women who arrived on the First Fleet in 1788— a colonial history that started long before Atem’s own family arrived from South Sudan in 1997.

In fostering a deeper understanding of the experiences of Australia’s first African migrants, Atem interrogates the shaping of national policy throughout the centuries, which has directly influenced who is determined to be Australian and non-Australian.