Celebrated as a successful artist and storyteller, Dennis Golding is known for his symbolic, visually engaging projects of work.
To commence 2024, Golding has joined forces with Kyra Kum-Sing, a Malera Bandjalan, Mitakoodi woman and curator from Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Alexandria Park Community School for a collaborative, and new project of work.
The exhibition POWER – The Future is Here, showcases a suite of silky, hand-painted superhero capes. Painted by 100 young people, each turning to a symbol or an icon drawn from their own memory or connection to country, Golding hopes this project inspires regional communities – particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island youth.
The exhibition POWER was first presented at Blacktown Arts (2021) and then at Carriageworks in The Future is Here (2021), with a version of the project set to tour with Museums & Galleries of NSW (M&GNSW) to ten regional communities over the next two years.
The exhibition originally emerged out of the Solid Ground project, established in partnership with Carriageworks and Blacktown Arts in 2015 as a gateway for education and employment for Indigenous youth in inner-city Sydney.
As a participant of the program in 2020, Golding worked with Alexandria Park Community School.
He said these capes which feature in The Future is Here are symbolic of both his youth and childhood growing up.
"I felt that superhero capes were perfectly fitted to conversations with kids and young people," Golding said.
"The whole symbolism of the cape comes from childhood memories – mum gave me my first Batman or superhero costume when I was six years old and I remember, as a kid, putting that cape on and feeling invincible.
"There's something really powerful about it."
Golding also wanted to reinforce the idea that traditional knowledge and culture can be explored and conveyed through the use of contemporary experiences and art forms.
Working independently as an artist and curator, all of Golding's projects strive to reflect powerful representations of contemporary Aboriginal culture, informed narratives and lived experiences.
Continually aiming to critique the social, political and cultural representations of race and identity, in 2024 we are sure to see more of Golding's work across a variety of mediums.
National Tour Itinerary:
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW: until 10 March 2024
Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery, NSW: 23 March – 5 May 2024
Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW: 6 July – 13 October 2024
Bank Art Museum Moree, NSW: 26 October – 7 December 2024
Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW: 20 December 2024 – 9 February 2025
Moreton Bay Galleries, QLD: 22 February – 17 May 2025
Mulga Lands Gallery, Charleville, QLD: 30 May – 1 August 2025
Hyphen Wodonga, VIC: 19 September – 30 November 2025
South East Centre for Contemporary Art, Bega, NSW: 2025 – 2026
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