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A Convict in the Family? is a a travelling photographic exhibition from
Sydney Living Museums
that unlocks the history of 40 living Australians
and connects them with their convict heritage.
The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority is proud to
present a travelling photographic exhibition from Sydney Living Museums
that unlocks the history of 40 living Australians and connects them with
their convict heritage.
Comprising large-scale photographs by documentary photographer, Mine
Konakci, A convict in the family? explores the connection between
convict settlers, their living descendants and the petty crimes that
changed the course of their family history.
The sitters – ordinary Australians – are photographed in modern
settings such as their home, garden or a public space with an item
representing the petty crime that saw their ancestor sentenced to
transportation to the new colony. Through involvement in the project,
many sitters discovered their convict heritage for the first time.
For documentary photographer Mine Konakci, the project presented the
opportunity to delve deeper into her fascination with ancestry.
“Many of Australia’s early convicts suffered disproportionately by
today’s standards in comparison to their crimes. A minor crime resulted
in transportation to a new colony and a new path in their family’s
history. As a photographer, what interests me is the impact that the
theft of objects – most of a relatively small value – had on people’s
lives. By photographing descendants with a representation of the item
stolen by their ancestor, I have drawn a link to their family’s untold
history,” said Mine Konakci.
The exhibition of 40 photographs will be displayed across two of the
Port Arthur Historic Sites for an extended period this summer. The
Asylum at Port Arthur will host 31 of the images, while the Matrons
Quarters at the Cascades Female Factory will host nine images, featuring
female sitters with female convict ancestors.
About Mine Konakci
Mine Konakci is an Australian with Turkish heritage. She holds a Masters
in Documentary Photography, from the Sydney College of Arts, The
University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Graphic Design from the Mimar
Sinan University of Fine Arts, Istanbul, Turkey. Her fascination with
Australia’s convict past started when she was commissioned by a heritage
publication in 2008 to photograph Anna, a convict descendant
high-school student. When she embarked on her Master’s degree in
documentary photography, documenting direct descendants of convict
settlers became the obvious choice for her major project.
A convict in the family? is her first solo exhibition. Mine lives and works in Sydney.
Exhibition details
What: A convict in the family? photographic exhibition
Where: Asylum, Port Arthur Historic Site and Matrons Quarters, Cascades Female Factory Historic Site
Exhibiting: 4 November 2014 – 28 February 2015
Admission: Access to the exhibition is included in the cost of site entry |