The Blak Infinite

Embassy

Richard Bell

  • Art Installation
  • Film
  • Talk
  • Free
Wheelchair AccessWheelchair Access
A tent sits within a large gallery space, teeming with visitors. A sign above the tent reads: "Aboriginal Embassy"

Dates and Times

Installation

Sat 1 — Sun 16 June

Embassy has travelled across the world—most recently to the Turbine Hall of London’s Tate Modern, and Documenta Fifteen in Kassel, Germany—addressing local differences in race and politics through talks and screenings.

Keep an eye on the chalkboard for film screening times and speaker information.

Talks

Saturdays, 11am—2.30pm

Listen to conversations in this free First Nations-led space that forges alternate futures and hosts dialogue in support of First Peoples rights.

  • Session 1 | 11am—12pm

  • Session 2 | 12.15—1.15pm

  • Session 3 | 1.30—2.30pm

Colonisation and Imperialism have devastated societies everywhere. Embassy gives voice to those who continue to suffer the consequences of that devastation.
— Richard Bell

Film Screenings

Sun—Fri, 10am—5pm

Bell’s Theorem (2022)

Duration | 4.06mins

Filmmaker | Richard Bell

Ningla A-Na

Producer & Director | Alessandro Cavadini

Duration | 72mins

Advice | Adult Themes, Coarse Language

A legendary documentary about the Aboriginal Tent Embassy

No Tin Shack (2022)

Duration | 7.24mins

Filmmaker | Richard Bell

“I still remember the day a large vehicle pulled up outside my home on the outskirts of the town of Mitchell. I lived on a small plot of land that I believe cwas part of an Aboriginal Reserve or Land reserved for Aboriginal people (Aborigines). Soon after, there was a loud knocking on our front door.

At the door was a pallid white man, dressed in a pressed white shirt and dark (possibly blue) tie accompanied by grey shorts and knee-high whitish socks. His wide brimmed hat did nothing to hide this man’s arrogance and air of superiority to which I took an instant dislike.

He was the Booringa Shire Council Health Inspector. He started talking to my mother just as another heavy vehicle began to approach our place. He asked if we had received a notice to leave. She answered that we didn't have running water, electricity or sewerage, let alone a letterbox with a home delivery postal service (forgetting to mention the school bus that drove right past our reserve without picking us up). Nevertheless, Mr Health Inspector ordered us to pack our belongings so he could proceed to demolish our home. We were stunned to say the least.

We knew there weren’t any places to move to in Mitchell because the Booringa Shire Council had already demolished twenty or more homes from the Mitchell Yumba, the main Aboriginal Reserve. The Sergeant of Police asked my mother if we had anywhere to move to and she replied that we hadn’t. He turned to the Health Inspector and instructed him to stop the proceedings because we didn’t have anywhere else to go.

I could see that he was very disappointed, which cheered up my brother Marshall and I, if only momentarily. He stormed over to his car and sped off into town. Sometime later, he reappeared to recommence his dirty work.

We found out later that there were no vacant properties in Mitchell at that time. However, there were two condemned houses. Mr Health Inspector apparently arranged for one of those houses to be uncondemned where we didn’t live happily ever after.

Uncondemned. Is that a word?”

— Richard Bell, 2022

Event Information

Talks

A free talks program takes place each Saturday, from 11am—2.30pm. View Session Details above for session times. The chalkboard will be updated daily with speaker information.

Film Screenings Daily

Sun—Mon, 10am—5pm, in the EMBASSY tent. View film information and screening times above.

Pay The Rent

A second work by Richard Bell, Pay the Rent is located on the State Library of Victoria for RISING.