Page 33 - Tropic Magazine Issue 12

Cover story
CIAF 2018

Country Under the theme “Connection To Country”,

connections artists and performers will share their
extraordinary stories and life experiences
and reveal the energy and spirit Indigenous
people share with their ancestors. With the
festival expecting to draw more than 50,000
visitors over the four-day event, art lovers
Whether you’re an art-lover or can take in live music, paintings, fashion,
workshops and performances from a
a curious novice, the Cairns diverse range of contemporary artists and
Indigenous Art Fair is one galleries. You’ll also get to sample some of
epic festival that deserves the region’s top chefs and street food with
primary position in your TropicNow’s signature foodie event Meet Eat
social calendar. Repeat being held at CIAF for the first time,
with vendors serving up delicious dishes at
Words Sharon Timms
the Cruise Liner Terminal throughout the
It’s the vibrant celebration of life, art event.
and cultural connection billed as one of CIAF Art Director Janina Harding said the
the premier creative industry festivals “Connection To Country” theme would
in Australia. e Cairns Indigenous Art take on a life of its own at the festival.
Fair is back to turn the Cairns Cruise “ e art fair’s curated exhibition will
Liner Terminal and satellite venues present works from 12 art centres from
across the city into a bustling across the Cape and the Torres Strait,
marketplace filled with art and artists, revealing the life force our people share
curators and collectors. with their ancestors that created the land,”
CIAF, now in its ninth year, is a unique she said. “ is year’s incarnation sees the
four-day event showcasing the rich program extend beyond Queensland’s
cultural tapestry of Queensland geographical borders to Western Australia,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Africa and the US to show how,
Peoples, celebrating the heritage of one regardless of location, an Indigenous
of the world’s oldest living cultures. artist’s sense of place and cultural heritage
are common ties driving storytelling and
creative expression.”
From the glitz and glamour of the Opening
Night Party featuring live performances
under the stars at the Cairns Cruise Liner
Terminal, through to the sprawling maze
and lively hustle of the Art Fair and Market,
plus innovative fashion and dynamic
shows from over 150 performers, the 2018
event is bound to be an eclectic and electric
display of culture and heritage.
Queensland Minister for the Arts Leeanne
Enoch said CIAF celebrated the state’s
talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
artists and provided an ethical pathway to
take their art to a global audience.
Whatever your art inclination, this
celebration of culture is certainly one of the
hottest cultural events Cairns has to o fer.

MORE: ciaf.com.au

Pics: Courtesy of CIAF