New exhibition shines light on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability

Unfinished Business, a 3D photographic exhibition on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, has opened at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Created by documentarian Belinda Mason OAM with Dieter and Liam Knierim and developed with the First Peoples Disability Network, the exhibition presents 3D lenticular portraits, a short documentary and a new installation.

Thirty participants from communities across Australia have contributed.

“Each story is presented on the participants’ terms, encouraging visitors to engage directly with their experiences,” said Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay AO.

The museum worked with Vision Australia and Expression Australia to include tactile panels, audio descriptions, Auslan interpretation and large-print materials.

Audio Description and Auslan tours, along with audio versions of exhibition labels, are available via QR codes.

Australian Museum Director, First Nations, Laura McBride said accessibility was built into the exhibition’s design.

“Ableism and racism continue to affect the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities. This remains unfinished business,” she said.

Unfinished Business was first shown in 2013 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and has since toured internationally. 

The exhibition also features Not Fit for Purpose, an installation by Latja Latja and Narungga Elder Uncle John Baxter, who is one of the 30 participants and the museum’s 2025 Mob at the Museum Cultural Resident.

Using old mobility equipment, the work highlights the cost and limited suitability of many disability aids, particularly in regional and remote areas.

Research indicates that about half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with a disability or long-term health condition, almost double the rate of the non-Indigenous population.

Exhibition details

Unfinished Business
Australian Museum, Sydney
1 November 2025 to 19 April 2026
Free entry
More info here