Untitled (Transcriptions of Country) is a major new work commissioned from Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones, curated by Artspace, Sydney, and Palais de Tokyo, Paris. The work will premiere at the Palais de Tokyo in October 2021 in conjunction with DFAT's Australia Now France program and the International Contemporary Art Fair.

Jones’ work will examine the colonial transportation, trade and translation of Australian native plants and cultural objects, and associated Indigenous knowledges that occurred through French expedition under the command of Captain Nicolas Baudin(1800-1803). Sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to circumnavigate the country, this expedition was one of the leading scientific expeditions of its time, resulting in the largest known collection of native plants and objects outside Australia.

Website: Artspace

Project start-end dates: January 2021 – March 2022

Country: France

Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grant: $15,000