The Eighth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

its title. Contrasting with the peaceful, historical landscape, the reflective panels resemble the view from a surveillance camera and are scattered with symbols of skulls, bullet-holes and text. Dominating the mirrored black panels of the work is the reflected text ‘THESE PEOPLE’, a recognisable and dismissive reference to asylum seekers in the vernacular of Australian politicians. Eaton combines domestic and local historical references to confront an issue of global significance; the fear and prejudice against communities and individuals who are made to represent a set of abstract principles, their identities constructed in advance with little knowledge or understanding. LAWRENCE ENGLISH Born 1976, Brisbane, Australia Lives and works in Brisbane Lawrence English is an artist and composer who uses his creative practice to engender greater spatial awareness. English makes field recordings to capture local environmental sounds that are normally beyond unassisted hearing or which exist on the periphery of attention. As a young boy, his father would take him to various outdoor places and ask him to identify sounds without viewing their source. This exercise fascinated English because of its emphasis on a different sensory world. In Audition 2015 his field recordings are arranged into a composition that is played back through an architectural device, amplifying and containing the sound. This field of heightened listening offers a site-specific experience as the composition mingles and interacts with the Gallery’s own sonic environment, bringing the sounds made within GOMA back into the space of the work, and implicating the viewer in forming the experience. KÖKEN ERGUN Born 1976, Istanbul, Turkey Lives and works in Istanbul Köken Ergun works closely with minority communities to document their distinctive collective rituals, from the beauty contests of Filipino workers in Tel Aviv, to the lavish weddings of Turkish migrants in Berlin . Ergun first trained as an actor, and has described himself as drawn to performance, drama and ritual. In Ashura 2011, he records the customs of the Caferi Shiites of Zeynebiye, a suburb of Istanbul. Ashura is understood differently by Sunni and Shiite Muslims. For the Caferi Shiite — a minority within predominantly Sunni Turkey — it marks the death of Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein and his followers were killed in the battle of Karbala (680CE). Traditionally a time of deep sorrow and despair, among Caferi Shiites the annual commemoration is marked by a weeping ritual and a theatrical re-enactment of the traumatic events of over 1300 years past. In filming within such a community, Ergun believes it is important to form intimate, long-term relationships, as a close observer. This is visible in his decision to use a hand-held camera, offering a highly personal viewpoint. GUNYBI GANAMBARR Ngaymil people Born 1973, Yirrkala, Australia Lives and works in Gangan, Australia Gunybi Ganambarr is a Yolngu artist who was born into the small Ngaymil clan in Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land. Yolngu artists are particularly known for their contemporary translation of sacred designs on barks and larrakitj (memorial poles) for a broader audience. Ganambarr has extended this practice to incorporate innovative materials with links to mining and industry, forming a reflection on the erosion of Aboriginal land rights. His incised steel and galvanised iron wall works are highly reflective, contrasting with three works created from rubber conveyor belts, a reference to the removal of minerals from Yolngu land through the recently decommissioned Nhulunbuy bauxite mine and alumina refinery. Ganambarr’s mentors have included renowned artists Djambawa Marawili and Wanyubi Marika. His work exemplifies the confidence and cultural assertion of a new, experimental Yolngu art, while remaining firmly guided and influenced by elders and senior artists. GERELKHUUGANBOLD Born 1988, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Lives and works in Ulaanbaatar Gerelkhuu Ganbold’s Soldiers who don’t know themselves 2013 is a vertical triptych, depicting a horde of mounted horsemen in armour who appear to be riding through a vast desert space. Each figure is rendered with fine detail and close inspection reveals that the armoured suits are either empty or inhabited by skeleton figures, although they sit upright on their horses as though controlled by a ghostly presence. The horde marches in rigid order, which contributes to a sense of isolation and impending disaster. Gerelkhuu’s painting draws on a variety of sources, from the genres of Mongol zurag painting and equestrian art, as well as contemporary comics and science-fiction cinema. His ghostly battalion recalls Mongolia’s epic past under the legendary empire of Genghis Khan, and simultaneously allegorises the uncertainty of life in the rapidly changing country as it experiences a period of unprecedented urbanisation and widespread economic uncertainty. HITMANGURUNG Born 1986, Lamjung, Nepal Lives and works in Kathmandu, Nepal Hit Man Gurung’s figurative paintings address the phenomenon of transitory Nepalese labourers who leave their families and country behind to join the work forces of foreign countries. International migration has increased exponentially in the past decade, leaving a gap that affects a sense of community, the passing on of knowledge and economic wellbeing. Posing figures against stark, minimal backgrounds, Gurung’s paintings address the social, political and emotional impact of low- income labour migration. Gurung conducted research throughout Nepal, meeting with families who had suffered the loss or injury of family members, documenting their experiences through videos and collecting data and objects including passports and identity cards. His paintings highlight both the emotional impact and the dramatic socio-economic changes that such a mass 244—245 ARTIST PROFILES