It's official: IDAIA is becoming a French non-profit association (under the 1901 law), with the following objectives:
to anchor our actions in a curatorial, educational and democratic framework, in line with our principles and values;
and to implement projects that allow for greater accessibility, greater visibility, and greater impact,
particularly for artists, communities and voices of Australian First Nations,
and for the ethical and curatorial sector of Australian Aboriginal art.
Participate and support us!
The association was created as a follow-up to the private, French-Australian social enterprise, created to promote and support Australian Aboriginal creation, in Sydney in 2008, then in Paris in early 2018.
What we achieved in 17 years of existence:
Over 100 exhibition projects, primarily in France and Australia, as well as in Europe and Asia,
More than 200 educational events,
More than 400 artists exhibited,
Over 1 million Euros in sales benefited Aboriginal art centers.
Recognition and appreciation by the artistic, curatorial and institutional community of the Australian Indigenous art world.
But due to a lack of sufficient resources, our visibility and impact remain limited.
Furthermore, unethical commercial practices surrounding Aboriginal art remain widespread in France and Europe. Many works of unethical provenance continue to circulate, while practices of forgery, appropriation, exploitation, and abuse of Aboriginal artists show no signs of abating.
Protocols and principles of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property are still largely disregarded, and serious curatorial approaches are rarely implemented. There are very few educational resources available, and far too few institutional exhibitions dedicated to Aboriginal art.
Together with the association, we are implementing:
A democratic and voluntary governance of the association, ensured by office members and a French-Aboriginal advisory committee composed of academic experts recognized in the world of Australian Aboriginal art;
Partnerships with institutions and museums;
A collaborative French-Aboriginal project with the participation of Aboriginal exhibition curators, artists and artist cooperatives.
And of course, ambitious projects and a program:
Establishment in Paris of a place to discover, learn and exchange about Indigenous Australian art and culture, with a team of mediators and many resources available;
Development and management of an online platform on current exhibitions and events in Australian Aboriginal art worldwide, bilingual French-English;
Publication of bilingual French-English brochures on the ethical Aboriginal art sector and exhibition catalogues;
Monthly newsletters informing about Aboriginal art exhibitions and events in France and around the world;
Sale of publications, works and objects on behalf of artists and artists' cooperatives;
And of course, organisation of curatorial exhibitions, and public and educational events, both in the association's premises and outside the walls in France and Europe.
*** WE NEED YOU ***
Support us by becoming a member and participating in our activities:
While we await our new website, you can find the association on the official and verified Helloasso page: IDAIA Helloasso Page
Choose your membership option (Classic, Resource, Institutional) and enjoy the many benefits while supporting the association : Annual IDAIA membership or Monthly IDAIA membership
Make a donation: IDAIA Donations
And of course, participate in our activities!
In 2026, we plan to organise 5 thematic exhibitions, all accompanied by programs of public and educational events (guided tours, workshops, lectures), a conference on the ethical sector of Indigenous Australian art, two guided tours of public collections of Aboriginal art, and special events with artists.
We are counting on you and thank you for your support.
Photo: Opening ceremony of the exhibition The Aboriginal Song of the Seven Sisters as part of the Songlines exhibition series in Paris in 2023, with the artists and representatives of the artist cooperatives participating in the exhibition: Anawari Inpiti Mitchell, Brenda Douglas, Alison Milyika Carroll, Tapaya Edwards and Corban Clause Williams.