TREPANG
CHINA & THE STORY OF MACASSAN -----
ABORIGINAL TRADE
海参---------
华人， 望加锡人，澳洲土著人的故事
Trepang By Marcia Langton
Introduction
It became the subject of a
dream. -------- John Cawte2
This exhibition is founded on the friendship of two artists, each inheritors of ancient traditions: Zhou Xiaoping from Hefei,classically trained in the visual art traditions at the Anhui College in China; and John Bulunbulun, a senior member of the Gurrambakurramba clan, highly regarded as a song and ceremony man of the Yirritja moiety, traditionally trained in the visual art traditions of east central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. After years of collaboration, dating back to 1988, they bring together their understanding of historical events that entangled their ancestors across cultures and the seas and archipelagos between China and the northern coast of Australia more than two centuries ago.
From perhaps at least 1780, trepangers from Celebes were visiting the north coast of Australia to obtain trepang which Chinese people used as a delicacy and aphrodisiac, especially in soup. The term trepang derives from the Makassar word teripang, generally referring to the edible varieties of sea cucumber, such as Holothuria scabra. A lesser known trade route between China and South-East Asia was plied by these seafarers in their small craft, or perahu. They were mostly Macassans from the Kingdom of Gowa (now in southern Sulawesi, Indonesia) and they sailed to north Australia to harvest the precious trepang from some of the
coastal bays of the region. The Macassans traded the trepang —or sea cucumbers—, perhaps
sometimes through intermediary Chinese traders,to the ports of China.
The historical resonance of these events lives on among some Aboriginal groups of the Northern Territory, Australia. In this exhibition, Zhou Xiaoping, John Bulunbulun and other artists, both historical and contemporary, have illustrated the long reach of this history into present day Aboriginal culture. How could a mere sea animal resonate in the histories of
peoples as far flung as the Chinese, the Macassans of the Celebes and Aborigines of north
Australia? The story has emerged from books, records, documents, paintings, drawings, objects and Aboriginal traditions, each revealing something of the bravery, excitement, wealth, conflict and friendship experienced by the protagonists for more than a century. What lies at the heart of this story is friendship and alliances forged through trade. The artworks in this
exhibition show how these relationships and the cultural riches that ensued are still celebrated today.
海参展 --- 简介
作者：玛西亚·兰顿
它成为梦想的主题 -------- 约翰·考特(John Cawte)
本次展览的举办，建立在两位艺术家的友谊之上。他们都是古典传统的传承人。中国合肥的
周小平，曾在安徽教育学院进修古典视觉艺术； 以及被高度赞誉为伊瑞佳部落分支的(Yirritja
moiety)歌曲及仪式传承人、古兰巴库兰巴部落 (Gurrambakurramba clan)长老约翰·布龙·布龙
(John Bulunbulun)，在澳大利亚北领地阿纳姆丛林(Arnhem Land) 东中部研修古典视觉艺术。
自1988年以来，经过多年的合作，他们在二百多年前先辈们跨越中国与澳大利亚北海岸之间文
化、海洋、岛屿的重重阻隔、互通往来的历史事件上达成了共识。
至少从1780年起3，西里伯斯岛(Celebes)的海参捕捞者就抵达澳大利亚北海岸，捕捞被中国人视为美餐和壮阳药(尤其是海参汤)的海参。海参(trepang)一词源自望加锡(Makassar)语teripang，通常是指海黄瓜的可食品种，如糙海参(Holothuria
scabra)。这些远航渔民坐着小船(或称为敞舱船perahu)，开辟出中国与东南亚之间一条鲜为人知的贸易航线。他们主要是来自戈瓦王国(Kingdom of Gowa)(也就是现在的印度尼西亚苏拉威西岛南部)的望加锡人5�，穿越重洋来到澳大利亚北部，在一些海湾里捕捞珍贵的海参。望加锡人有时可能是通过中国的中间人，将海参(或称海黄瓜)销售到中国港口。
时至今日，澳大利亚北领地的一些土著部落仍然在重演着这些历史事件。本次展览中，周小平、约翰·布龙·布龙和其他过去及当代艺术家，一同来演示这段漫长的历史长河，并且了解当今的土著文化。这样一种纯粹的海洋动物，如何会在遥远如斯的中国人、西里伯斯岛望加锡人以及北领地土著人的历史中产生共鸣？这段故事曾出现在书籍、记录、文件、油画、绘画、物品和土著传统之中，每个故事都展示了一个多世纪以来这些主角们的勇敢、激动、财富、冲突和友谊。而故事的主旨，则是在贸易交往之中建立的友谊和联盟。本次展览的艺术品将展示这些关系及其所带来的文化财富如何延续至今。
CHINA & THE STORY OF MACASSAN -----
ABORIGINAL TRADE
海参---------
华人， 望加锡人，澳洲土著人的故事
Trepang By Marcia Langton
Introduction
It became the subject of a
dream. -------- John Cawte2
This exhibition is founded on the friendship of two artists, each inheritors of ancient traditions: Zhou Xiaoping from Hefei,classically trained in the visual art traditions at the Anhui College in China; and John Bulunbulun, a senior member of the Gurrambakurramba clan, highly regarded as a song and ceremony man of the Yirritja moiety, traditionally trained in the visual art traditions of east central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. After years of collaboration, dating back to 1988, they bring together their understanding of historical events that entangled their ancestors across cultures and the seas and archipelagos between China and the northern coast of Australia more than two centuries ago.
From perhaps at least 1780, trepangers from Celebes were visiting the north coast of Australia to obtain trepang which Chinese people used as a delicacy and aphrodisiac, especially in soup. The term trepang derives from the Makassar word teripang, generally referring to the edible varieties of sea cucumber, such as Holothuria scabra. A lesser known trade route between China and South-East Asia was plied by these seafarers in their small craft, or perahu. They were mostly Macassans from the Kingdom of Gowa (now in southern Sulawesi, Indonesia) and they sailed to north Australia to harvest the precious trepang from some of the
coastal bays of the region. The Macassans traded the trepang —or sea cucumbers—, perhaps
sometimes through intermediary Chinese traders,to the ports of China.
The historical resonance of these events lives on among some Aboriginal groups of the Northern Territory, Australia. In this exhibition, Zhou Xiaoping, John Bulunbulun and other artists, both historical and contemporary, have illustrated the long reach of this history into present day Aboriginal culture. How could a mere sea animal resonate in the histories of
peoples as far flung as the Chinese, the Macassans of the Celebes and Aborigines of north
Australia? The story has emerged from books, records, documents, paintings, drawings, objects and Aboriginal traditions, each revealing something of the bravery, excitement, wealth, conflict and friendship experienced by the protagonists for more than a century. What lies at the heart of this story is friendship and alliances forged through trade. The artworks in this
exhibition show how these relationships and the cultural riches that ensued are still celebrated today.
海参展 --- 简介
作者：玛西亚·兰顿
它成为梦想的主题 -------- 约翰·考特(John Cawte)
本次展览的举办，建立在两位艺术家的友谊之上。他们都是古典传统的传承人。中国合肥的
周小平，曾在安徽教育学院进修古典视觉艺术； 以及被高度赞誉为伊瑞佳部落分支的(Yirritja
moiety)歌曲及仪式传承人、古兰巴库兰巴部落 (Gurrambakurramba clan)长老约翰·布龙·布龙
(John Bulunbulun)，在澳大利亚北领地阿纳姆丛林(Arnhem Land) 东中部研修古典视觉艺术。
自1988年以来，经过多年的合作，他们在二百多年前先辈们跨越中国与澳大利亚北海岸之间文
化、海洋、岛屿的重重阻隔、互通往来的历史事件上达成了共识。
至少从1780年起3，西里伯斯岛(Celebes)的海参捕捞者就抵达澳大利亚北海岸，捕捞被中国人视为美餐和壮阳药(尤其是海参汤)的海参。海参(trepang)一词源自望加锡(Makassar)语teripang，通常是指海黄瓜的可食品种，如糙海参(Holothuria
scabra)。这些远航渔民坐着小船(或称为敞舱船perahu)，开辟出中国与东南亚之间一条鲜为人知的贸易航线。他们主要是来自戈瓦王国(Kingdom of Gowa)(也就是现在的印度尼西亚苏拉威西岛南部)的望加锡人5�，穿越重洋来到澳大利亚北部，在一些海湾里捕捞珍贵的海参。望加锡人有时可能是通过中国的中间人，将海参(或称海黄瓜)销售到中国港口。
时至今日，澳大利亚北领地的一些土著部落仍然在重演着这些历史事件。本次展览中，周小平、约翰·布龙·布龙和其他过去及当代艺术家，一同来演示这段漫长的历史长河，并且了解当今的土著文化。这样一种纯粹的海洋动物，如何会在遥远如斯的中国人、西里伯斯岛望加锡人以及北领地土著人的历史中产生共鸣？这段故事曾出现在书籍、记录、文件、油画、绘画、物品和土著传统之中，每个故事都展示了一个多世纪以来这些主角们的勇敢、激动、财富、冲突和友谊。而故事的主旨，则是在贸易交往之中建立的友谊和联盟。本次展览的艺术品将展示这些关系及其所带来的文化财富如何延续至今。
