Indigenous artist Archie Moore traced his Aboriginal relations back 65,000 years and used this deep connection to place in his winning entry at a major European art exhibition.
Designing the Australian pavilion named “kith and kin” at the Venice Biennale, Moore received the prestigious Golden Lion award for best national contribution.
He is the first Australian to win this award.
His intricate work, written in chalk on the pavilion’s dark walls and ceiling, took months to complete.
In an interview before his win, Moore explained that the project’s name was inspired by the old English definition of the word kith.
“(It means) countrymen, or one’s own land, which I saw as an Indigenous understanding of connection to place,” he said.
Moore researched his own history using Ancestry.com and state archives as part of the work.
More than 500 documents, mostly coroner’s reports about Aboriginal deaths in custody, were included in a floating installation within the work.
This installation was positioned above a pool of water that reflects Moore’s family tree and pays tribute to similar installations found at shrines and memorials.
Moore’s installation traces back his family tree. Source: Supplied / Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial
Moore used white chalk in much of his work as a way to reference the school curriculum.
“When I went to school there was nothing mentioned about Indigenous history, it was all about the colonial project, agriculture, those kind of things and nothing about my own Indigenous history,” he said.
Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke praised Moore’s work for showcasing the power of Australian art and storytelling that dates back to the beginning of time.
“Australian stories help us to understand ourselves, know more about each other, and let the world get to know us. That’s exactly what this artwork does,” Mr. Burke said.
In a social media post, the Prime Minister also congratulated Moore, recognizing Australia’s participation in the Biennale since 1954 and celebrating this historic win.
“What an incredible tribute to the oldest living culture in the world, at the oldest art exhibition in the world,” he said.
A close-up photograph of the family tree Archie constructed for the prize. Source: Supplied / Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial
This year’s Biennale explores the themes of foreignness, migration, and exile under the title “Foreigners Everywhere.”
Curator Adriano Pedrosa invited 330 artists from various countries with numerous works, while over 80 countries are participating with their national contributions.
An international art audience is expected in the historic northern Italian city for the 60th edition of the exhibition, which runs until November 24.
Considered one of the most important presentations of contemporary art, the Biennale, alongside documenta in Kassel, attracts artists and guests from around the world.
