Still from an artwork by Elise Rasmussen showing a hand  squeezing ultramarine paint out of a tube
Elise Rasmussen, "Did you know blue had no name?", 2018, Still from 16mm film transferred to HD, courtesy of the artist.

Free events

Ultramarine Conversations presents guest speakers from a diverse range of fields and practices. Through a series of talks and panel discussions they will take you into the watery spaces of our planet, exploring biodiverse environments, human and non-human habitats, and the varied and complex place of the ocean in global cultures.

Ultramarine was originally mined in the Hindu Kush mountains of what is now known as Afghanistan. During the early Renaissance period it became the most prized and expensive colour to paint with. The word comes from the medieval Latin word ultramarinus: "beyond the sea".

The series is presented as part of Blue Assembly.

The Word for World is Ocean

7 March 2024 6:00pm16 May 2024 8:00pm
Join us for The Word for World is Ocean Reading Circle led by Dr Bronwyn Bailey-Chateris. Give yourself permission to connect, read, discuss and share deeply around the vast body that connects us all - the Great Ocean.
Artwork “sacred water”, by Judy Watson in UQ Art Museum exhibition “Mare Amoris | Sea of Love”.

Ultramarine Conversations: Mare Nullius (Rescheduled)

2 March 2024 5:30pm8:00pm
Join us for a conversation bringing together creative, legal and academic voices to discuss Indigenous water rights.
Artwork, “Monuments to the South-West Waters of the Great Ocean”, by Chistopher Bassi depicts large seashells balanced on top of each other in a sculptural composition. It is painted in warm yellow, orange and brown colours.

Ultramarine Conversations: An Uprising Built on Love

9 November 2023 5:30pm8:00pm
In our final Ultramarine Conversation for 2023 join us for a conversation on revolutionary love.
Artwork “sacred water”, by Judy Watson in UQ Art Museum exhibition “Mare Amoris | Sea of Love”.

Ultramarine Conversations: Mare Nullius

20 October 2023 5:30pm8:00pm
Please join us for an evening of discussion about Indigenous water rights as part of our current exhibition "Mare Amoris | Sea of Love".
artwork by Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, ““a handful of sand thrown against a white wall after work, amidst a rising tide”, 2020 included in UQ Art Museum exhibition: Mare Amoris | Sea of Love.

Ultramarine Conversations: Climate Justice and First Nations Sovereignty

24 August 2023 5:30pm8:00pm
In this Ultramarine Conversation hear how First Nations peoples are leading the fight for climate justice in Australia.
Tishiko King in Antarctica. In conversation with Tishiko King at UQ Art Museum for exhibition Mare Amoris | Sea of Love

*CANCELLED* Ultramarine Conversations: Tishiko King

24 August 2023 12:30pm1:30pm
Join us for a conversation and Q&A with climate activist Tishiko King on the intersection of climate and First Nations justice.

Hydrodecadence: Dr Léuli Eshrāghi in conversation with Angela Tiatia

21 October 2022 12:30pm1:30pm
Artist Angela Tiatia joins UQ Art Museum’s Curatorial Researcher in Residence Dr Léuli Eshrāghi for an Ultramarine Conversation.