Cultural Knowledge is Currency is a new exhibition led by Yidinji Traditional Owner and cultural leader Carl Fourmile, in collaboration with Minjil. Centred on the revival and reinterpretation of the Yidinji people’s unique square-cut nautilus shell regalia, the project extends traditional knowledge into the present through hands-on fabrication, storytelling, and creative documentary-making. This body of work celebrates both the resilience of Yidinji cultural practices and the adaptability of contemporary art in maintaining living traditions. 

At the heart of the exhibition are newly created shell adornments developed by Minjil using both ancestral knowledge and modern techniques. While acknowledging how Yidinji ancestors sourced and fashioned shell regalia, the project introduces current methods of cutting, grinding, and polishing to sustain these practices today. Fabrication was developed at NorthSite Studios, where the Minjil team explored innovative ways to honour the beauty of nautilus shell while ensuring ethical and sustainable material use. 

Alongside the adornments, a series of creative documentary films—produced by Coedie McCarthy —captures stories from Yidinji elders and storytellers. The three-channel installation weaves together oral histories, cultural knowledge, and striking imagery of Yidinji Country, creating an immersive space where audiences can experience both the process of making and the significance of shell regalia. By situating these moving-image works within the gallery, the project highlights how film itself can serve as an extension of cultural expression and continuity. 

The exhibition, shaped by Fourmile with NorthSite First Nations Curator Aven Noah Jr, balances traditional and contemporary forms. Historical images, a dugout canoe, carvings, and shell regalia sit alongside modern imaging, editing, and film installations to illustrate a continuum of cultural resilience.  

Together, these elements form a powerful narrative about Yidinji heritage as a living, evolving practice—one that bridges past and future, and reaffirms the place of Yidinji creative expression within the broader story of contemporary Australian art.