Abdullah's Cronulla Triptych: A Reckoning Through Baroque Art
A new triptych by artist Abdul Abdullah, created for the 25th Biennale of Sydney, reimagines the 2005 Cronulla riots through a neoclassical lens. The work is on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until June 14.
The 2005 Riots
On December 11, 2005, over 5,000 mostly Anglo-Australians gathered at North Cronulla Beach, ostensibly to protest antisocial behavior following a fight between lifesavers and young Middle Eastern men. The gathering quickly devolved into violence, with the crowd attacking people of perceived Middle Eastern appearance over several days. The riots resulted in 26 injuries and 104 arrests.
Abdullah, who is of Muslim, Malay/Indonesian, and Australian heritage, was 19 and living in Perth at the time. He was profoundly influenced by the events and the anti-Muslim sentiment they exposed.
From News Footage to Baroque Painting
Abdullah drew direct inspiration from Giambattista Tiepolo's 1744 neoclassical painting The Banquet of Cleopatra. He re-staged scenes from news footage of the riots in a studio, using actors sourced from a Bangkok talent agency. All of the actors—models aged 19-22—were Russian and entirely unaware of the historical events they were depicting.
The triptych focuses on the perpetrators, with victims intentionally anonymized. Signs and flags visible in the original news footage have been removed. This deliberate choice, Abdullah says, creates a sense of distance that allows for "meditative engagement" rather than immediate, reactive judgment.
Artist's Statement
Abdullah describes the Cronulla riots as a key moment in Australian history, one that laid bare existing societal tensions. He is unequivocal in his assessment of the event. "Victims were targeted based on perceived racial identity, defining the event as racism and attempted lynching," he said.
Looking back two decades later, Abdullah expressed that anti-immigration sentiment has not significantly improved. The work serves not as a historical record, but as a formal, coolly composed invitation to reflect on a wound that has not fully healed.