A behind-the-scenes look at pulling together one of the most complex, ambitious and beautiful body paint photos you've ever seen. FIAT Brand North America unveils a one-of-a-kind print ad this week when it debuts “Body Paint” in this year’s annual ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. The visually stunning print ad features more than a dozen female artists, models and contortionists to recreate the image of a Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio. The annual edition of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue (07/22) will be on newsstands starting Wed., July 10.
“‘Body Paint’ allowed us to take part in a unique collaboration with a multinational sports company that connects the FIAT brand with sports and car enthusiasts across the globe,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC, and Fiat Group Automobiles Head of Fiat Brand.
“Our ideal execution is when a client creates an ad that works so well within the context of our environment,” said Eric Johnson, ESPN executive vice president, multimedia sales. “Not only is this a creative win, it thematically ties in perfectly with ESPN The Magazine’s annual Body Issue.”
"We wanted to create a concept for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue that was as visually unique as the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio," said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand North America. "The notion of the 'Body Paint' print ad conveying athletic grace in a magazine that specifically devotes itself to covering athletes around the world sparked a perfect union for the FIAT Brand."
The Maya are one of the oldest cultures in the world. This exhibition is all about the magnificent artistic forms of expression of the Maya. With a collection of around 300 works of art, including many Mexican national treasures, it displays the fundamental aspects of pre-Hispanic art: the body and the physique are central to this exhibition.
The Maya present their vision of life using various materials and techniques from their daily life, splendid buildings and works of art. They describe their relationship with gods, their everyday existence, their literature, their astronomy, their music and their dances. What often dominates these works is an idealised notion of humanity, which the Maya retained not only in their conception of humans and the ideal of beauty, but also in the location of mankind in the cosmos.
As part of a brand re-launch, Lil-Lets has created a new campaign aimed at encouraging women to embrace their femininity.
Women’s bodies work in amazing ways and Lil-Lets knows why women feel the way they do during their cycle. The new campaign positively embraces this knowledge and shares it with an unexpected edge that may surprise women themselves.
Using striking headlines and intriguing insights including ‘HORNY’ which reveals that “if your period makes you feel a bit horny, it’s because your body knows an orgasm is one of the best, natural ways to ease the discomfort of cramps”, the campaign hopes to connect with today’s woman and recruit a new younger generation to the brand, as well as appealing to loyalists.
The press campaign will appear in women’s monthlies and weeklies. The digital campaign features True and False questions linking to an interactive Body iQ quiz that tests the nation’s knowledge of how the body works, including everything from orgasms to the shopping gene.
Clodagh Ward, Director of Marketing at Lil-Lets, said; “At Lil-Lets we are passionate about celebrating femininity and all there is to love about being a woman. The campaign devised by Leagas Delaney brings this vision to life and underpins what we are all about – we know that periods are a natural part of a woman’s life and we are in tune with how it makes you feel.”
Nigel Roberts, Creative Director at Leagas Delaney, said; “We wanted to create a campaign that was different to the category. Candid references to why your body works the way it does during your period has grown-up honesty to it.”
The press ads will feature new packaging and highlight key products outside of their heritage in tampons, including applicator tampons and towels.
Credits: Creative Director: Nigel Roberts Associate Creative Director: Timo Klaarenbeek Art Director: Chris Felstead Copywriter: Adam Arber Digital Art Director: Kalle Everland Digital Copywriter: Will Pike Account Director: Layla Potter Agency Producer: Alexa Easterby/Ben McMullen/Amy Chalkley Photographer: Jo Metson Scott
Lenthéric Solo: Fail. Up your game. Ad Agency: Bester Burke, Cape Town, South Africa
For Dettol hand sanitizer. Ad agency: Havas Worldwide, Santiago, Chile. via: copyranter
Don't let the stains tell the wrong story. Restaura Car. Car Cleaning. Advertising Agency: Hermandad, Brazil Creative Director: Paulo Lima Art Director: Pedro Teixeira Copywriter: Hélio Maffia Illustrator: Douglas Reis
Bliss Self-Foaming Body Wash. Really cares of your body. Advertising Agency: Looma, Kishinev, Moldova Creative Director/Art Director: Sergey Prokopchuk
AXE. The cleaner you are. The dirtier you get. Advertising Agency: BBH, London, UK Executive Creative Director: Nick Gill Creative Director: Dominic Goldman Copywriter: Richard Mcgrann Art Director: Andy Clough Photographer: Dimitri Daniloff
Rowenta Foot Massage. Spa For Your Feet...Or Foot Fetish. Advertising Agency: Publicis, Frankfurt, Germany Executive Creative Director: Stephan Ganser Creative Directors: Nico Juenger, Konstantinos Manikas Creatives: Merlin Kwan, Konstantinos Manikas Photographer: Mert Photo
Sanitol,Urinal. Touch him. And you touch everything he’s touched. Advertising Agency: McCann Worldgroup, New Delhi, India
Boots Body Cream. For sexier knees. Advertising Agency: McCann Worldgroup, Bangkok, Thailand
Brazilian Beauty. Keep yourself tidy. Advertising Agency: The Cavalry Melbourne, Australia Creative Director: Tony Greenwood Art Director: Craig Maclean Copywriter: Tony Greenwood
New Remington bikini trim & shape.
In honor of May 4th, as “May the Fourth be with you!”, the Nerdist Channel came up with this video as nothing says celebrating Star Wars fandom like two lovely ladies with lightsabers. Directed by Seth Green, the “Saber” sequel delivers some good, “clean” fun involving super-sudsy saber action.
You can file this under strictly rumour for the time being, however, there have been some exciting 'leaks' regarding the cast for Robert Rodriguez’s Machete. For those of you playing at home, Machete is the latest project from my favouritist director in all the land and is an expansion of a faux trailer Rodriguez created to play at the start of Grindhouse. Like the spoof trailer, the feature film adaptation will pay homage to exploitation films of the 60s and 70s, probably in a similar fashion to the awesome Black Dynamite reviewed below. Rodriguez originally came up with the idea whilst filming Desperado and wanting to create a Mexican Jean-Claude Van Damme. It has taken until now to get the idea off the ground and into production, with there being no shortage of hype surrounding the project. The latest and most reliable tid-bit comes from a Bloody-Disgusting.com contributor who revealed the four main cast members as being *drum roll please*:
Danny Trejo
Okay, so I started with the biggest unsurprise ever as its common knowledge (to all with a cranium) that Trejo is taking up the title roll of Machete. A Rodriguez regular, the character and film were created around Trejo and his signature, erm, charm.
Michelle Rodriguez
Robert’s twin sister Michelle is said to be playing the character of Luz. I should point out here the above is a lie and despite the last name, the action-babe is in no way related to Mr Rodriguez... that we know of.
Jonah Hill
Everyone’s favourite Seth Rogen doppelganger is tipped for the role of Julio.
Robert De Niro
To conclude the cast gossip with a bang, the legend De Niro will star as Senator McLaughlin in the film which, in my humble opinion, is quite unlike anything he has done before. Ballsy.
So, if the above cast info turns out to be true — what an amazing ensemble! All very different actors with very different backgrounds, this should make for an exciting collaboration. Speaking of collaborations, Rodriguez will be co-directing the picture with Ethan Maniquis who has worked with Rod-man as editor on a bunch of his past films (Planet Terror, Sin City and the upcoming Shorts). Machete has a release date for sometime in 2010 but for those wanting a taste of what to expect I suggest you watch the spoof trailer (below) where it all began.
P.S. I know, I know. Just because I finally worked out how to post whole clips from YouTube straight to my blog, that doesn't mean I need to saturate you all with videos. That said, I just came across the wicked trailer for Jennifer's Body. I've been hanging out for this comedy-horror for quite a while... mainly because it's the second film written by stripper turned wordsmith Diablo Cody. Cody had her first major hit with Juno which nabbed her the best original screenplay Oscar back in `08. Unlike her uber-successful debut, Jennifer's Body is a tad darker and (from watching the trailer) I'd say a whole lot similar to personal fav Idle Hands. There's also a strong hint of the Canadian film Ginger Snaps which had a similar plot if you trade werewolf for demon. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone `adaptated' the horror franchise and gave it a mainstream makeover. Jennifer's Body stars Amanda Seyfried as a dorky highschooler who has to try and stop a cheerleader (Megan Fox) who is possessed by a demon and killing her male classmates. Sounds like a rad concept if you ask me but you can make your own mind up by watching the trailer below. Thoughts??? In a completely un-movie-related comment I applaud the use of Cherry Bomb from The Runaways as backing music. They're one of my favourite bands ever and the song is utilised perfectly. Jennifer's Body has a clever release date of October 29 in Australia, right on Halloween (my favourite holiday).
P.P.S. Vazzzup readers? Since chameleon-comic Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie Bruno is out in a few days, I thought I'd treat you to some vintage Bruno. I mean heck, you know people are going to be doing Bruno impressions at the water-cooler at work for the next few months so here's some material not from the movie. Plus, this is a nice warm-up to the type of humour you can expect from the Austrian Gay TV reporter. Enjoy.
Rico Genest, aka "Zombie Boy" the world record holder for most tattooed body covers up his tattoos to promote DermaBlend Leg and Body Cover.
The mysterious 25-year-old Canadian model Rick Genest shot to fame after displaying his body art in Lady Gaga's video "Born This Way" Genest whose entire head and torso are covered in tattoos was an unknown entity. He was literally picked out from obscurity by Gaga’s stylist.....look at me now mom. For those wondering about the music, the song is "There Is Hope" by Zoo Brazil featuring Rasmus Kellerman.
The perfect fit + liquid shaping technology = a revolution in shaping jeans. The newest addition to Levi's Curve ID fit system keeps it's shape and shows off yours.
Stink director, Gustav Johansson's latest work for Levi's jeans captures different young women in Revel jeans. Shot through W+K Shanghai, Gustav embraced the idea of 'Let your body do the talking and letting the models to get creative expressing themselves with their body languages. Some interesting Shanghai city locations added a touch more charm to this fun spot.
The music and song is a cover of Bunny Siglers's "Shake Your Booty" redone by Pusha T. The: 60 version of the commercial is down below after the credits.
Credits: Creative Ad Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Shanghai Production: Stink Director: Gustav Johansson Executive Creative Director: Achilles Li Creative Director: Vivian Yong Executive Creative Director: michael simons Creative Director: Marcus Woolcott Art Director: Kendra Wan Copywriter: Joey Chung Producer: Ding Ni Executive Producer: Louise Kwan DoP: Niklas Johansson
Happy Day, everyone! If it's raining as much near all of you as it is over here in New York, I sincerely hope you're all staying dry! What's the best thing to do on a rainy day, in my opinion? Online (window) shop! I love learning about new and up-and-coming stores, as well as checking in with my favorite websites to see what was recently added to the inventory (or what's on sale!).
The store where this beautiful dress came from is certainly not unknown - this is the Glacier dress from the super-popular, super-lovely website Shabby Apple! This dress is part of their Berkshire line. I love what they have to say about this line of beautiful dresses:
"Made for the last breaths of summer, this line embraces the Woman-in-the-wild--with basic,feminine silhouettes in easy-to-wear fabrics that provide you the ease and comfort you need for a weekend getaway, a last summer barbecue, or even a long day at the office. Slip into one and feel the joy of the evanescent summer - you'll be glad you did."
I'm sold! As I sit in my apartment shivering and watching the students battle with umbrellas in the storm-like conditions, I could certainly go for a sweet, lingering summer day! Even though this line is inspired by the end of summer, I think this dress is totally a fall piece. It's made from the "sturdiest, no-fuss poly blend," and has the sweetest pinstripe detailing. I love the pleats in the skirt. I think this dress has an incredibly-flattering shape that anyone can wear! Look at those details! So pretty and graceful. Thank you, Shabby Apple, for making such a wonderful dress.
Suiting Up at Express
I've always loved the chic styles in the windows of Express! Whenever I need something classic and pretty for an event or a night out, I'm eager to check out what's new in the store. Right now I'm crazy about the women's suits that can be found in store or online. These tailored pieces are so flattering and would definitely make a statement.
I mean, look at how cute the Rouched Sleeve Jacket and Wide Leg Editor Pant Suit is! I think the silhouette is modern and just so classy. I could totally see myself wearing this to a job interview. Look at the Luster Tweed Jacket and Editor Pant Suit. The details on the jacket are lovely. I love the pockets. I think this suit can easily go from work to play with the addition of some fun accessories (a pretty necklace or a cute clutch).
Guess what, readers! Right now there's an Express sweepstakes taking place on their Facebook page! The Work It Sweepstakes is offering one winner a $500 Express Suiting Makeover! How great is that? Wouldn't you like the opportunity to add one of these cute suits to your wardrobe?
What Express suit do you like best? Where would you like to wear one of their suits, and how would you make it uniquely you?
In typical GoDaddy fashion, they leak their 2012 Super Bowl XLVI commercial early. This years Super Bowl ad features Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels are painting a naked model's body with messages about the company's.co domain names.
Come on GoDaddy you guys should be able to do better than this, it's getting old.
Ancient Japanese fighting arts riveted attention of enormous number of people worldwide still long since. The beauty, a height, an aesthetics, spirituality are peculiar to all ancient oriental combat sports. It they strikingly differ from other fighting arts, and it they are fine. Still for a long time Japanese together with force of a human body brought up also strength of mind, and to strength of mind paid special attention.
Strength of mind allows the person to carry out the full control over itself. «Behind a side permitted» to operate the body, and even the opponent. A single combat vivid example which wins the strongest and the cleverest is sumo. It is very ancient version of traditional Japanese struggle. Historians cannot answer a question with reliability: whether there was a struggle sumo in Japan or this ancient single combat was is brought from other continent.
The Japanese struggle sumo has no analogues in the world.
Japan — the recognised centre sumo and one in own way the country in which there are competitions on professional sumo. In other world compete only in amateur sumo.
The ritual component of the Japanese struggle sumo has long since remained. The scenario of preparation for a duel does not change centuries, and it helps to keep atmosphere of ancient Japanese struggle.
Over the last year, swine flu, or H1N1, has received a lot of press. Though it can be a particularly strong strain of the flu virus, it is important to remember that it is just that: the flu virus. In most cases, this flu is nothing to get too alarmed about. It is, however, important to take precautions to avoid catching any flu, including getting the flu vaccine.
This year’s regular flu vaccine will not protect you from the Swine Flu, but there is a special vaccine for this strain. Anyone who has a compromised immune system, as well as young children and the elderly, may particularly need to get a flu vaccine.
The Swine Flu has received so much attention because it is a new strain of flu virus. This is important simply because the fact that it’s new means that our population has little immunity from it, so it spreads more easily from person to person.
To prevent the spread of swine flu, and other viruses, there are some precautions that all of us should take. The first is to stay home when you’re sick. This helps avoid the spread of viruses. Secondly, cover your sneezes and coughs. And, finally, wash your hands frequently. When you’re not able to wash your hands, hand sanitizers are a good substitute, so long as they are alcohol based.
Symptoms of the swine flu are not that different than the symptoms of other flu viruses. They include:
fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent;
cough;
runny nose or stuffy nose;
sore throat;
body aches;
headache;
chills;
fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme;
diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu.
More serious cases of the swine flu can include a respiratory infection or pneumonia. If you have a bad cold coupled with extreme fatigue and body aches; it’s often wise to assume that it’s the flu and visit your doctor. There are flu medications that, when taken early enough after onset, can shorten the duration of both the swine flu and seasonal flu.
Flu complications are the most likely in the elderly, the very young, and those with medical problems. These people should be vaccinated, and should seek treatment early. Nearly all of the deaths that have occurred from this year’s swine flu outbreak have been among those who already suffered from ill health.
If you’re healthy but interact with the public, a vaccine might still be a wise idea; just to ensure you stay well this flu season. The swine flu has not had nearly the impact that was predicted. However, this is likely because most of the population heeded the warnings, got their vaccinations and looked for signs of illness.
It’s likely that this strain of flu may be here to stay. But, as we develop immunity to it through outbreaks and vaccinations, it should no longer be something for which we have so much concern.
The newest Old Spice ad features the worst architect in the world, and old school jingle, another hunk and a shower in the middle of a living room...what else could we ask for in a 15 second Old Spice commercial?
Build a shower, get inside of it, turn it on and start washing your old, boring body off and start washing a newer, better-smelling body on today.
Credits: Creative Ad Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Director: Steve Rogers
Three new Geico commercials, the bodybuilder ad "Happier Than a Body Builder Directing Traffic", "Happier Than Christopher Columbus with Speedboats" and the third in the campaign "GEICO Two Tickets to Paradise Commercial is Happier Than Eddie Money Running a Travel Agency".
New commercial for GE takes a look inside a 2012 Olympic Athlete.
The human body is an amazing thing. Olympic athletes perform feats that require power, speed, grace, and unimaginable coordination. Take a deeper look — past the cheering crowds and the gold medals — and see inside the body of an Olympic athlete.
In this video GE's advanced imaging technology lets you see how a swimmer generates the power needed to shave.1 seconds off his time, how a biker's arm muscles strain to help propel him forward, and how a runner's leg strides toward the finish line. These candid images demonstrate why biceps need triceps, how a shoulder creates torque, and why a longer muscle is a swifter muscle — insights that can be insightful for Olympic training.
Do you remember the pictures of black lungs we were shown at school? Tobacco Body is exactly the same thing done for the iPad age. It is a tool for teachers to show how tobacco changes our bodies. 358 Helsinki has been working with Cancer Society of Finland since the inception of their agency cracking the same problem: How do they get teenagers to think critically about smoking?
This time they thought about the school world and soon realized that those pictures in the books are still the same. Isn't it time for an update? Can't technology make the shock effect more shocking?
Client: Cancer society of Finland;
Agency: 358 Helsinki;
Production: !noob;
Country: Finland;
Creative Director: Erkki Izarra;
Art Director: Maria Fridman;
Art Director: Ville Kovanen;
Copywriter: Jonathan Mander;
Copywriter: Valtteri Väkevä;
Copywriter: Anna Lundqvist;
Account Director: Sonja Eiramo;
Agency Producer: PEGGY PETRELL;
Agency Producer: KRISTA DURCHMAN;
Client: Virve Laivisto.
If you have been following the adventures of the AXE Apollo Astronaut ad campaign and wondering where the story goes after he steals the girl from the Fireman and Lifeguard, now we know. In the latest AXE commercial for the Deep Space Body Wash our hero the Astronaut makes his way into the shower to lather up with Deep Space shower gel after well watch the ad and figure it our for yourself.
The was created by the creative ad agency BBH and if you haven't been following, the Fireman spot can be seem HERE and the Lifeguard spot HERE.
New promo trailer for Assassin's Creed 3 "RISE" created by Sid Lee. The trailer commercial also features the music of Arcade Fire "My Body is a cage."
Ubisoft® EMEA is launching the European campaign for Assassin's Creed 3 with "RISE," an 80-second video created by Sid Lee and directed by Bjoern Ruehmann. The commercial features eight characters illustrating their battle in the middle of the American Revolution, the setting of this next installment of the game. "RISE" pays tribute to the deep and inner rise of the individual who, united with others, makes change possible. Allied with people from the colonies, Connor becomes the pioneer of a new country, the United States. The campaign conceptualized by Sid Lee also includes digital and social media, print and outdoor elements.
Credits: Advertising Agency: SidLee, Paris, France Creative Director: Sid Lee Direction: Bjoern Ruehmann Production: Jimmy Lee / Furlined Song: Arcade Fire "My Body is a cage"
Go Daddy is one of the first 2012 Super Bowl advertisers to give us a sneak peak at what they are up too. Go Daddy's Super Bowl commercials include two spots this year, "The Cloud" features Danica Patrick and The PussyCat Dolls and what seems to be some short of heavenly angel thing, which reminds me of the Axe Fallen Angel ads.
The official press release: SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Super Bowl 2012 will mark a product milestone for Go Daddy. The world’s largest provider of Web hosting, domain name registrations and net-new SSL Certificates is known for its edgy ads with smokin’ hot Go Daddy Girls, but for the first time ever, Go Daddy is using one of its two edgy new Super Bowl commercials to specifically reference its cloud-based offerings.
Go Daddy has long delivered services “in the cloud” – providing individuals and businesses more efficient and less expensive online options. Now, it’s taking its product marketing to Super Bowl viewers with fun references to Go Daddy’s innovative offerings such as 4th Generation Hosting, known as 4GH.
The 30-second ad is called The Cloud. It features Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick and the new Pussycat Dolls, along with several core product references in a “divine” setting. The Cloud is also Go Daddy’s most ambitious production in the company’s eight-year Super Bowl history. The storyline includes a revealing moment and an extravagant set design.
“How can we produce a Super Bowl ad that’s fun, edgy, slightly inappropriate and also speak to cloud-based products?” asked Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “Like only Go Daddy can … trust me, it’ll be as GoDaddy-esque as ever. Danica will surpass her most revealing Go Daddy moment, from back in 2008 when she gave us the big unzip!”
Danica recently ranked the Internet’s Most Searched Athlete and she’s also a sort of Super Bowl staple. By most observers’ count, Danica has been in more Super Bowl ads than any other celebrity, and with this year’s campaign, she will have 11 big game ads on her resume, all with Go Daddy Productions.
“Doing Go Daddy’s Super Bowl commercials is always interesting, but this year’s are epic,” Danica said. “The commercials are very funny – there’s physical humor, and in The Cloud there’s a big-time dance routine. Yes, I dance. And I’ll say this, the dance sequence is as GoDaddy-esque as it gets!”
Go Daddy’s other 2012 Super Bowl ad also features Danica, along with her Go Daddy Girl colleague and fitness guru Jillian Michaels. Like Danica, Jillian is a strong woman and successful entrepreneur.
“I like the way Bob and Go Daddy portray women as strong and successful,” Jillian said. “Yes, the commercials are edgy and hot … but the Go Daddy Girls always have the last laugh, they are the ones in control. A lot of people don’t realize this, but Bob’s executive staff is made up of more women than men.”
The 30-second ad featuring Jillian and Danica is designed to bring massive consumer attention to the.CO domain, the Internet’s most popular new domain name extension. While Go Daddy is working to keep the specifics of the storyline under wraps for now, it has said the ad features a stunning international supermodel whose world-class body drew this comment from Jillian on-set: “If I made a DVD about how to get a body like hers, I’d be a gazillionaire.”
.CO Internet S.A.S. CEO Juan Diego Calle makes a cameo appearance in the Internet-only version of the commercial, along with Bob Parsons. “Not only was filming the Super Bowl ad a fun way to spend a work day, we know it will help take dot-CO to the next level – driving more business and boosting brand awareness,” said Calle. “Last year’s Super Bowl ad helped us to finish our first year with more than one million dot-CO domain names registered by people in more than 200 countries – and made dot-CO the hottest new Web address in the world!”
Go Daddy partnered with.CO Internet for the first time in the 2011 Super Bowl with great success. As for its cloud-based products and services, Go Daddy has been in the cloud since before the term was coined. Not surprisingly though, most people have more awareness of Go Daddy’s commercial campaigns … that may change with this year’s advertising leap into the cloud.
For the Pussycat Dolls, featured prominently in The Cloud’s outrageous dance scene, 2012 marks their first-ever Super Bowl commercial and serves as the unofficial launch of the new Pussycat Dolls.
Credits and Comparis Blackly Comic commercial info. Imagine that you're stuck in hospital next to a fellow patient who just wont let you forget that you paid more for the same health insurance than he did. You call the nurse to complain but she's just as unconcerned as the guy in the next bed. Walker's latest campaign for online price comparison service, Comparis uses this nightmare scenario to dramatize the fact that many people pay higher premiums for essentially the same level of health insurance. So, should the unthinkable happen, and you find yourself in a full-body plaster cast lying next to the word's most irritating man, then you'd really wish that you had spent a few minutes checking out the Comparis website to see what you could have saved. You have been warned.
Advertising Agency: Walker, Zurich, Switzerland Executive Creative Director: Pius Walker Art director: Golf Nuntawat Chaipornkaew Copywriters: Roger Beckett, Golf Nuntawat Chaipornkaew Account Directors: Lisa Binkert, Cornelia Nunlist Graphic Designer: Philipp Dornbierer Production House: Knucklehead Director: Ben Gregor DOP: Douglas Koch Producer: Jane Tredget Editor: Mark Burnett Speade
The British Museum will open a major exhibition presenting a history of Indigenous Australia, supported by BP. This exhibition will be the first in the UK devoted to the history and culture of Indigenous Australians: both Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. Drawing on objects from the British Museum’s collection, accompanied by important loans from British and Australian collections, the show will present Indigenous Australia as a living culture, with a continuous history dating back over 60,000 years.
The objects displayed in this exhibition are immensely important. The British Museum’s collection contains some of the earliest objects collected from Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders through early naval voyages, colonists, and missionaries dating as far back as 1770. Many were collected at a time before museums were established in Australia and they represent tangible evidence of some of the earliest moments of contact between Aboriginal people, Torres Strait Islanders and the British. Many of these encounters occurred in or near places that are now major Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. As a result of collecting made in the early 1800s, many objects originate from coastal locations rather than the arid inland areas that are often associated with Indigenous Australia in the popular imagination.
The exhibition will not only present Indigenous ways of understanding the land and sea but also the significant challenges faced by Indigenous Australians from the colonial period until to the present day. In 1770 Captain Cook landed on the east coast of Australia, a continent larger than Europe. In this land there were hundreds of different Aboriginal groups, each inhabiting a particular area, and each having its own languages, laws and traditions. This land became a part of the British Empire and remained so until the various colonies joined together in 1901 to become the nation of Australia we know today. In this respect, the social history of 19th century Australia and the place of Indigenous people within this is very much a British story. This history continues into the twenty first century. With changing policies towards Indigenous Australians and their struggle for recognition of civil rights, this exhibition shows why issues about Indigenous Australians are still often so highly debated in Australia today.
The exhibition brings together loans of special works from institutions in the United Kingdom, including the British Library, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. A number of works from the collection of the National Museum of Australia will be shown, including the masterpiece ‘Yumari’ by Uta Uta Tjangala. Tjangala was one of the artists who initiated the translation of traditions of sand sculptures and body painting onto canvas in 1971 at Papunya, a government settlement 240km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Tjangala was also an inspirational leader who developed a plan for the Pintupi community to return to their homelands after decades of living at Papunya. A design from ‘Yumari’ forms a watermark on current Australian passports.
This exhibition has been developed in consultation with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, Indigenous art and cultural centres across Australia, and has been organised with the National Museum of Australia. The broader project is a collaboration with the National Museum of Australia. It draws on a joint research project, funded by the Australian Research Council, undertaken by the British Museum, the National Museum of Australia and the Australian National University. Titled ‘Engaging Objects: Indigenous communities, museum collections and the representation of Indigenous histories’, the research project began in 2011 and involved staff from the National Museum of Australia and the British Museum visiting communities to discuss objects from the British Museum’s collections. The research undertaken revealed information about the circumstances of collecting and significance of the objects, many of which previously lacked good documentation. The project also brought contemporary Indigenous artists to London to view and respond to the Australian collections at the British Museum.
Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said, “The history of Australia and its people is an incredible, continuous story that spans over 60,000 years. This story is also an important part of more recent British history and so it is of great significance that audiences in London will see these unique and powerful objects exploring this narrative. Temporary exhibitions of this nature are only possible thanks to external support so I am hugely grateful to BP for their longstanding and on-going commitment to the British Museum. I would also like to express my gratitude to our logistics partner IAG Cargo and the Australian High Commission who are supporting the exhibition’s public programme.”
