To celebrate National Poetry Month, this episode of NGA Art Talks explores the intersection of text, poetry and art.

In 2024 the National Gallery, together with Red Room poetry, commissioned Vietnamese Australian writer and poet Nam Le and Palawa playwright Dylan Van Den Berg to respond to a work of art from the national collection.

A Palawa playwright from the northeast of lutruwita/Tasmania, Dylan Van Den Berg’s work explores Blak and Queer identities through the subversion of national stories to embolden Indigenous perspectives. Commissioned across Australia, his plays have won awards including the NSW Premier’s Award for Playwrighting.

Van Den Berg chose Benjamin Duterrau’s painting, Mr Robinson's first interview with Timmy (1840). In this episode, recorded for a live audience as part of the Gallery’s Friday Art Taks program, Van Den Berg reads his ekphrastic commission and shares insights into the writing process.

NGA Art Talks is a podcast brought to you by the National Gallery of Australia.

Artworks discussed:

Benjamin Duterrau - Mr Robinson's first interview with Timmy

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