Stop 5 - Indigenous Boy Mural

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Seek the Indigenous boy watching over you

Clue 1: Walk halfway down hosier lane with your back towards the Ian Potter Museum of Art in Federation Square and look up.

This mural painted by Adnate is hard to miss as it completely covers an entire side of a building however, it is common for people to miss the street art above because they are so absorbed by the ones at eye-­‐level around them.

This 23 metre tall mural depicts an imposing portrait of an Indigenous boy and the vast scale represents empowerment. The environment is very important to Adnate when composing each piece. He often chooses sites that raise awareness of culturally significant sites for the Indigenous people, in this case, the gaze of the boy looks straight towards Birrarung Marr.

Controversially, this engaging mural also faces the Ian Potter Museum of Art, a highly regarded institution in the art world that exhibits Australian art. This is highly provocative because of the history between Indigenous people and the Australian Government. Aboriginal art has become a white industry because it is categorized and curated by white curators in the art industry while the art on the streets are curated by anyone and lets the public appreciate their works at their own free will.