The Blak Laundry

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The Blak Laundry The Blak Laundry is a functional laundromat + living artwork by First Nations artists.

15/06/2026

In our current issue, Troy-Anthony Baylis celebrates migratory exhibition The Blak Laundry, conceived and created by Gamilaroi artist Dominique Chen and Quandamooka artist Libby Harward, as a site for community conversations that break ‘colonial power cycles’.

‘The Blak Laundry happenings are agitations and rinses that are not quite held inside institutions, adjacent, on the margins—the orientation is a creative choice blending with the idea and reality that both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and our thoughts are marginal, still being politicised, our voices still being cast aside after so many years of social progress and regress.’

Keep reading in ‘EXPERIMENTAL ART_Rattling the Archive’.

Image: Dominique Chen and Libby Harward, The Blak Laundry, 2025. Installation view at Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Art. Photo:

Our purpose-built laundry at Tarnanthi certainly raised the bar. Big thanks to SKEIN and the Art Gallery of South Austra...
19/01/2026

Our purpose-built laundry at Tarnanthi certainly raised the bar. Big thanks to SKEIN and the Art Gallery of South Australia team for all the support putting it together.

Wherever we are, we love that our little laundry feels so good to be in. A safe blak space, and welcoming and agitating space for everyone. Work and life running, and becoming the same. Always a bit strange leaving, and pulling it down at the end of it all.

Here are a few photos of the calm before things got busy.....






Photos by Saul Steed

Thanks to the extraordinary powers of late stage capitalism, we upgraded our advertising for The Laundry at Tarnanthi. W...
19/01/2026

Thanks to the extraordinary powers of late stage capitalism, we upgraded our advertising for The Laundry at Tarnanthi. What do you think?

Who wants to buy some Land Back??





Images by Saul Steed

We've been a bit quiet on the socials, but in the calm, gentle cycle of the new year—and with some time to soak it all i...
18/01/2026

We've been a bit quiet on the socials, but in the calm, gentle cycle of the new year—and with some time to soak it all in, wanted to share about our time at Tarnanthi and the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Grateful to be a part of such a deadly gathering on beautiful Kaurna Country. Being amongst, and spending time with so many amazing, staunch and creative Blak artists and community definitely filled the cup.

Was also so good to feel into The Laundry in a supported and collaborative space—feeling how it can be and become what it needs to when we're not busting our murrus just trying to make it work (thanks to the excellent team at AGSA ✨).

It was a privilege to hold the important and truthful conversations we did, and have some people we really admire and respect come and agitate with us. Big shout out and thanks to Dominic Guerrera, Ryan Presley, Judy Watson, Aunty Sandra Saunders, Uncle Badger Bates, Zena Cumpston, and Ali Baker 🖤🧺

Thanks also to everyone that came along and threw themselves into the mix, sorted your odd socks, catagorised your colours, bet on black, played some cards, relaxed, ate some cheese and devon, took notice, did some nighty night meditation, bought a t-shirt and had a yarn—it takes a bit of bravery, curiosity and generosity to properly do your dirty washing 🧼

More photos to come.

And always more washing to do.....



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