An Aboriginal arts centre accused of having non-indigenous arts workers meddling with indigenous art, has been cleared of breaching consumer laws, by the corporate watchdog.
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The APY Art Centre Collective has strongly refuted the allegations, first published in The Australian newspaper in 2023.
But the accusations sent shockwaves through the Aboriginal art industry and dented gallery sales.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found no breaches of consumer law after reviewing material from a South Australian government probe as well as other evidence, Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said in a statement issued Friday.
Media coverage of the allegations prompted important discussions on the cultural and social issues around Anangu artwork and the management of community art studios, she said.
"These broader cultural issues fall outside the provisions of the Australian Consumer Law and the ACCC's enforcement powers."
Proposed federal legislation to protect Indigenous cultural and intellectual property may be a more suitable way to address these issues in future, she said.
The arts centre at the centre of the controversy works with artists from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands that spread across the northern part of South Australia.
The first-nations owned collective markets the artworks of more than 500 Anangu artists through galleries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
A South Australian government-appointed panel was one of several probes into the centre, but after speaking to more than 200 people, it wrapped up in 2023 without returning any findings.
An investigation by the National Gallery of Australia, which was forced to put its Ngura Pulka – Epic Country exhibition on hold after the allegations aired, determined the artists had exercised effective control over the creation of their paintings.
The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) is still looking into the arts centre collective and received its first tranche of evidence in April.
The collective has been contacted for comment.
Australian Associated Press
