LORE and LAND

LORE and LAND is an exhibition grounded in the deep cultural knowledge, ancestral connections, and sovereign rights of Australian First Nations peoples. | 3 Jul to 16 Aug 2026

LORE and LAND
Tony Albert | Notorious B.E.L.L. | 2006 | Type C photograph. ed.1/5 | 100 x 100 cm. Gift of the artist through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2008. Sunshine Coast Art Collection. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo by Sarah Jane Smith.

The exhibition recognises that lore is not simply story - it is so much more: an enduring system of knowledge, responsibility, kinship, and custodianship that binds people to Country across generations.  In LORE and LAND, the artworks become pathways through these living knowledge systems. They articulate the unbroken relationships that First Nations artists hold with their ancestral lands, waters, skies and community. They speak to the cultural memory that is embedded in place, carried in language, held in body, and passed forward through ceremony, practice, and creation.

Yet LORE and LAND also acknowledges the political realities that continue to shape these relationships. The exhibition foregrounds the artists’ voices as they address issues such as dispossession and loss of land; attempts to erase cultural practice and identity; the impact of colonisation on lore, Country, and community; the continuing struggle for recognition, truth-telling, and justice; and the sovereignty that has never been ceded.

These works collectively assert that culture has not vanished; it has endured, resisted, adapted, and thrived. First Nations custodianship has remained constant, despite displacement and ongoing structural inequities.

LORE and LAND invites audiences to step into a space shaped not by colonial mappings of the continent, but by the cultural geographies that long predate them — places marked by storylines, ancestral presence, sacred sites, and responsibilities to care for Country. Through painting, sculpture, textiles, digital media, installation, and story work, the artists illuminate the complex intersections of memory, loss, belonging, and sovereignty that continue to define the First Peoples of this land.

This exhibition stands as both a celebration and a challenge: a celebration of the resilience, brilliance, and continuity of First Nations cultural knowledge, and a challenge to Australia to recognise, respect, and uphold the sovereign rights, lore, and custodianship that have existed on this continent since time immemorial.

Check out our exhibition Old Ways, New Marks at Maroochydore Library Artspace

LocationEventDate and timeCostRegistration
Caloundra Regional GalleryExhibitionFriday 3 July to Sunday 16 August 2026FreeNot required
Caloundra Regional GalleryLaunchThursday 2 July, 6-8pm$15Register now

NAIDOC 2026’s theme, 50 Years of Deadly, celebrates half a century of strength, pride and resilience, honouring the Elders, leaders, artists and communities who have carried this movement forward with courage and conviction. It’s a recognition that NAIDOC has always been more than a week. It’s a living expression of culture, resistance and survival, built on generations who refused to be silenced and who continue to shape this country on their own terms. This milestone invites us to reflect on the journeys, stories and achievements that brought us here, while recognising the power and leadership of our communities today, grounded in culture and driving change across every space. At the same time, it looks ahead to the next 50 years with young people rising strong in identity, language and connection to Country, and the ongoing fight for justice fuelled by new voices and enduring determination. 50 Years of Deadly is not just a celebration of the past, but a powerful reminder that when culture leads and community comes first, our future remains strong, proud and always deadly.