Entertainment
11 July, 2025
Pay attention to CIAF today
A BOLD new chapter of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) has opened this week, returning to its spiritual home at the Tanks Arts Centre with a reimagined program under the theme Pay Attention!
Now in its 16th year, the 2025 event spans the entire Tanks precinct, featuring immersive installations, a vibrant art fair, fashion performances, children’s activities and masterclasses, all designed to provoke, inspire and celebrate First Nations storytelling.
CIAF artistic director Teho Ropeyarn, making his curatorial debut, said this year’s fair was the biggest yet, featuring artists from across Queensland.
“We’ve taken over the whole Tanks Arts Centre,” he said.
“There’ll be digital installations at night, performances and always something to do for everybody.”
Mr Ropeyarn said the theme Pay Attention! – inspired by artist Tony Albert’s 2011 work – was a cultural provocation.
“It’s a reminder to stay vigilant, to address social and political issues and to push artistic practice further,” he said.
Deputy chairwoman Leitha Assan described the return to the Tanks as a homecoming.
“It’s a breath of fresh air and feels like we’re coming full circle. It’s the best place for our artists, our presenters and our cultural practitioners,” she said.
Among the standout installations is ‘Spill the Tea on the Colony’, a deeply personal work by Cairns-born artist Kerry Klimm. Through vintage tea sets and interactive seating, Ms Klimm reflects on the ongoing impacts of colonisation, her family’s Stolen Generations history and the resilience of black love, joy and rage.
“It’s truth-telling through tea,” she said. “I want people to sit, yarn and think about what Pay Attention! means to them.”
Ms Klimm is also leading a masterclass where participants will upcycle teacups with meaningful designs.
“It’s not just art, it’s usable, personal and reflective.”
CIAF also features Post Truth, a solo exhibition by Darren Blackman. Presented by Onespace Gallery, the neon-lit series tackles inherited injustice and the limitations of policy. Mr Ropeyarn said the show is “a seminal inclusion” that encapsulates the urgency of the 2025 theme.
The event runs through to Sunday, July 13.
Visit https://bit.ly/44iN7bQ
