Podcast // Kimberley Moulton

What struck me most about Kimberley is how her influence extends far beyond her curatorial work. She's a board member of the Barpirdhila Foundation and a published author in 'Sovereign Words: Indigenous Art, Curation and Criticism.' Her words carry weight, and her passion for preserving and celebrating Indigenous heritage is palpable.

Our conversation weaved through topics of Indigenous culture, art, and modern curatorial practices. I found myself learning so much about the challenges faced and the vital importance of this work in our contemporary world.

To wrap up the episode, I felt moved to perform verses from my original song 'Living Artefact,' featuring Kahl Wallis. It felt like the perfect way to tie together the themes we'd explored, bringing art and discussion full circle.

I truly believe this episode will open eyes and hearts. Whether you're an art enthusiast, interested in Indigenous culture, or simply curious about the world around you, there's something here for everyone. So tune in, and let's embark on this journey of discovery together.

In this episode we spoke about:

  • Kimberley's role as Senior Curator for South Eastern Aboriginal Collections at Museums Victoria

  • The British Museum and its controversial possession of stolen artefacts

  • Discussion on the ethical implications of holding culturally significant items

  • The ongoing debate about repatriation of these artefacts

  • The Parthenon Marbles and calls for their return from the British Museum

  • Their history and the controversy surrounding their current location in the British Museum

  • The Greek government's efforts to reclaim these ancient sculptures

  • Kimberley's work in repatriating Indigenous remains and artefacts from European and UK museums

  • The challenges faced in the repatriation process

  • The emotional and cultural significance of bringing ancestors and cultural items home

  • Decolonizing museum and art spaces

  • Strategies for reimagining how Indigenous art and artefacts are displayed and interpreted

  • The importance of Indigenous voices in curatorial decisions

  • The Barpirdhila Foundation and its role in supporting Indigenous artists

  • Kimberley's contribution to 'Sovereign Words: Indigenous Art, Curation and Criticism'

  • Insights into Indigenous perspectives on art and curation

  • The intersection of traditional Indigenous culture and contemporary art practices

  • The importance of cultural preservation and the role of museums in this process

  • Challenges faced by Indigenous curators in predominantly Western institutions

  • The power of art and artefacts in storytelling and maintaining cultural connections

At the end of the episode I read my verses from the song 'Living Artefact', which speaks to many of these issues.

I'm excited to share with you a truly special episode of my podcast. In this conversation, I had the privilege of sitting down with Kimberley Moulton, a remarkable Yorta Yorta Sovereign woman from Shepparton, now based in Melbourne.

Kimberley is not just any guest - she's the Senior Curator for South Eastern Aboriginal Collections at Museums Victoria, and let me tell you, her insights are nothing short of enlightening. We titled this episode "Living Artefact," and it couldn't be more fitting.

Throughout our chat, Kimberley opened my eyes to the crucial work she's doing in the cultural sector. We dove deep into her experiences repatriating cultural objects from international museums - a process that's as complex as it is important.

But that's not all - Kimberley also shared her perspective on decolonizing museum and art spaces, challenging the status quo in ways that left me inspired and motivated.

L I V I N G A R T E F A C T

My family's prophets and word spinners
Sinners
sermon givers
One side could be Gypsy
Though they'd hardly admit it

Actors and performers
Storytellers in the business
Hustling quotes
On cobblestones in the village

I'm sure the old folks
spoke a poem at the Olympics
Back when they considered lyricist
A kind of gymnast

So I back-flip and
Deliver the syllables you witness
Bet you've never seen and immigrant
Killing it quite like this kid

So it's papyrus and a pen
That's how I never let the general public
Get in my head again

I never let them tell me
My message is negligent
When we evidently invented
every letter that they tell me with

I'd rather fly than stay safe
Rather be Icarus than be trapped in this maze
What's the point of risking our lives
To arrive in this place
If we never ignite and make change

I'm a living artefact
Shaking the dust and giving up the facts
I'm a living artefact

I'm a living artefact
Said I'm shaking the dust and giving up the facts
Ancestors got my back

My culture is
Older than the Colosseum
They took out knowledge and our gods
And locked them in a mausoleum
I try to live it like it's Carpe Diem
But Australia's a large scale British museum

Smoking green
Getting Rosetta stoned
Ionian columns
Indigenous home
They stole a generation:
Indiana Jones
And survivors still try to repatriate bones

This place has got to me
Got me enraged honestly
I'm in a love and hate like
A constellation and Ptolemy
I find solace in prophets and prophecies
And my genealogy between the
Pages of the Odyssey

I rap so I can stand next to Sappho
Homer's my home run
That's why I'm a natural
Full circle: 3.1415
It's time I got my piece of the 
Pi

I'm a living artefact
Shaking the dust and giving up the facts
I'm a living artefact

I'm a living artefact
Said I'm shaking the dust and giving up the facts
Ancestors got my back

On the day that we departed
Artemis taught us how to never miss a target
The village in Greece is where it started
They wait on our return like we're the Elgin marbles

Statuesque but too trapped to move
It's like medusa got us wrapped in her view
Sent a message to Ares asking:
"What should I do?"
Got a message from Hermes that said:
"You're a messenger too"

So I speak like Prometheus giving people the fire again
And spit like every line has a spark left to inspire them
And every sentence is part Spartan legend
And part laced with venom
And half Aristotelian

I'm never scared or afraid of them
Born Australian but I rep the Mediterranean
I'm not scared of Greeks either
I tell them we learnt from Black teachers, like:
"What do you think happened when Pythagoras came to Egypt?"
It's all divide and conquer
We can never let it defeat us
Never let it defeat us!

I'm a living artefact
Shaking the dust and giving up the facts
I'm a living artefact

I'm a living artefact
Said I'm shaking the dust and giving up the facts
Ancestors got my back.


- Luka Lesson

Luka is a poet, rapper, Australian Poetry Slam Champion and Ancient History buff who can’t keep his hands off the classics. Luka has toured extensively throughout the world and is often bouncing ideas off Athenian columns and global politics as he finds his way, giving commentary on life and writing as a modern philosopher, performer and full-time poet.

Luka Lesson draws on his creative powers to either create new poetry inspired by conversations with guests from across the planet, or do a deep dive into his own catalogue of poetry and rap verses, using them as a sounding board for new conversations. His own Greek heritage and the histories of the people he speaks to often filter through, as well as his love of story, mythology, social change and visions for the future.