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TarraWarra Biennial 2025 has landed in Healsville with a message of resilience, reclamation and cultural resurgence. Curated by Yorta Yorta woman Kimberley Moulton, this ninth iteration of the biennial exhibitions is titled 'We Are Eagles', echoing a powerful 1938 declaration by Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls. On display from March 29th to July 20th, the exhibition brings together 23 contemporary Australian artists who explore the regeneration of cultural knowledge and challenge dominant colonial narratives. The result is a deeply moving collection that situates First Nations art at the heart of national storytelling.
TarraWarra Biennial 2025: A call to look up not down
The words "We are eagles" carry through the exhibition like a pulse. The TarraWarra Biennial 2025 invites audiences to shift their view upward towards strength, vision, and collective memory. Rather than dwelling on loss, these works centre survival and reimagination. Artists like Moorina Bonini and Daniel Riley create installations and film that examine the spaces where Indigenous knowledge has been held, erased, or reawakened. Bonini's Matha (Canoe) reflects on language and tis role in carrying identity, while Riley's mulunma - Inside Within offers a layered conversation about the limits of Western archiving and the presence of living culture. These pieces are not about reflecting history. They are about continuing it.
First Nations art, first in the conversation
Across the exhibition, First Nations art is not placed in dialogue with Western systems, rather it defines the space entirely. Artists engage with land, memory, and matriarchal knowledge through material and method, language and sound. The works resist singular interpretation, but share a commitment to truth-telling, sovereignty, and connection. As Moulton explains, this is not about inclusion. It is about posisitiong. By placing Indigenous artists at the centre, the TarraWarra Biennial 2025 challenges audiences to engage with the stories that shape the continent itself.
A national conversation rooted in contemporary practice
Each artist brings a distinct voice, but what unites them is a practice grounded in lived experience and cultural continuity. These contemporary Australian artists bring their own histories, questions, and methods. Together, their works form a shared movement that is honest, layered, and grounded in community. The exhibition is also part of this year's RISING festival. A dedicated day of food, music, and storytelling on June 14th will extend the experience beyond the galler. The conversation are not limited to walls. They live in voice, memory, and shared space.
TarraWarra Biennial 2025 is a statement. It brings together First Nations art, lived experience and artistic vision into one space with purpose. The artists are not interpreting history. The are shaping what comes next. Through installation, film, material, and sound, they ask us to pay attention. The message is clear. Cultural knowledge is not fading. It is continuing thorugh the hands and voices of artists who are grounded, connected, and determined. This is a moment to look up, listen well, and walk forward with respect.
