Fitzroy Crossing artist Natalie Davey’s major new work Nightscape is currently on view at the 25th Biennale of Sydney: Rememory, presented at White Bay Power Station until 14 June 2026.
Developed with support from Tura, Nightscape expands Davey’s short film River Report into an immersive three-screen installation incorporating surround sound and animation. The work brings the stories of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley to one of Australia’s most significant international contemporary art platforms.
River Report documented the catastrophic flooding that struck Fitzroy Crossing in early 2023. Although the flooding occurred during the traditional Yitilal (wet season), unprecedented rainfall intensified the event, leading to widespread devastation including submerged homes, livestock losses and community displacement. Over five days, Davey captured the experiences of her community in real time as the Fitzroy River inundated homes and destroyed property.
Nightscape revisits the night the floodwaters reached their highest point and rose through the floorboards of her home, bringing together sound, image and memory to convey the lived experience of that moment.
“River Report began as a way of sharing what was happening in Fitzroy Crossing as the river rose,” Davey said. “I was going down to the river each day and recording what I saw and heard – the water levels, the birds, the changes in the landscape. When the flooding became catastrophic, those reports became a way of documenting events in real time so people could understand what was unfolding.”
Reflecting on the work, Davey described the importance of documenting an event without precedent in local knowledge.
“In 2023 we experienced a type of flood we had no stories for in the thousands of years of knowledge passed down by our old people,” she said. “Part of my responsibility as an Aboriginal person is keeping those stories going – documenting what happened so it can be understood by future generations. Nightscape brings those recordings, sounds and images together to share the experience of that night and the impact it had on our community.”
Tura has worked with Davey since 2017 through programs including Sound FX and Two Way Touring, supporting the development of her practice as both an artist and producer.
Tura Artistic Director Tos Mahoney said it is significant to see this work presented on an international platform.
“Natalie has been working with Tura for many years as both an artist and producer,” he said. “It’s incredibly powerful to see her work, grounded in Fitzroy Crossing and the lived experience of community, presented on an international platform like the Biennale of Sydney.”
Natalie Davey is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans photography, soundscapes, painting and multimedia. Her short film River Report was awarded the Multimedia Award at the 2024 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA). She is based in Fitzroy Crossing and works across community, media and artistic practice.
Nightscape was developed with a creative team including animator Bernadette Trench-Thiedeman, sound designer Petris Torres (wawili Sound Solutions) and artist mentor Sohan Hayes.
Nightscape is presented as part of the 25th Biennale of Sydney: Rememory, exhibiting until 14 June 2026 at White Bay Power Station, Sydney NSW. Free event. More information: biennaleofsydney.art
Images credit: Natalie Davey, A Nightscape, 2025. Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with assistance from Tura. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view, 25th Biennale of Sydney, Rememory, 2025. White Bay Power Station. Photographs 2, 3 & 4: Document Photography.
