Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius tells the story of one of the most dynamic art movements in Australian history. Through the works of fifty artists, this major retrospective traces the history of Papunya Tula Artists, an Aboriginal company formed in 1971, from its humble origins in the small community of Papunya west of Alice Springs, to its operations today in the homelands of the Gibson Desert. The genesis of Papunya Tula painting was the catalyst for the emergence of the Western Desert art movement.

In paintings of extraordinary conceptual complexity, Arrernte, Anmatyerre, Luritja, Pintupi and Warlpiri artists have forever transformed the tradition of Australian landscape painting. Papunya Tula paintings offer a privileged insight into the richness of the world's oldest continuous art tradition. The stories told draw as much upon Aboriginal history as Aboriginal art history - histories that are only just beginning to be heard. In the dazzling visions of these artists the vastness of the desert is revealed as an intimate and vibrant landscape. Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius is the first major exhibition tracing the development of the Papunya Tula movement from the early 1970s to the present. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, as part of the Gallery's contribution to the official Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival.