Seminar with Victoria Lynn: Listening to the Land

Dr Victoria Lynn, Director of TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville, outside Melbourne, presents the museum’s site-responsive approach developed through close collaboration with First Nations communities. Situated on Wurundjeri Country, TarraWarra Museum of Art was established in 2003 through the philanthropy of Eva and Marc Besen, who also donated a major collection of modern and contemporary Australian art.
Under Dr Lynn’s leadership, the museum embraces the cultural and historical significance of its location, drawing inspiration from the Wurundjeri custodianship of the land, the history of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, and the meaning of Tarrawarra — “slow moving water” in Woiwurrung language. Dr Lynn will explore how this connection to place challenges the traditional western model of the modern art museum.
Through examples of recent exhibitions, the lecture will demonstrate how TarraWarra strives for curatorial co-belonging — where art is not isolated from life but deeply connected to the land, its histories, and its communities. This approach offers a new model for museums seeking to engage ethically and creatively with their environments and the people who shape them.

Dr Victoria Lynn is a leading Australian museum director and curator, recognised for her strategic vision and her commitment to art’s role in society. With over 30 years’ experience in major public galleries, she currently directs TarraWarra Museum of Art. Dr Lynn is widely respected for her engagement with First Nations arts, as well as contemporary Australian, European, American, and Indian art. A prolific writer, she has published over 100 articles, essays, and monographs on contemporary art. She was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2008 and became a Fellow of Monash University in 2024. Her work champions both emerging and established artists on national and international stages.

Read more about the project Samtidskonsten sporrar here.
In collaboration with Sweden’s Museums

Main Image: TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville, Australia
Foto: Rory Gardiner
Image 2: Peta Clancy’s installation from The Soils Project at TarraWarra Museum of Art in 2023.