Archie Moore’s exhibition kith and kin has been awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2024. This is the first time in history an Australian artist has received this accolade.
Archie Moore with kith and kin, 2024. Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024. Photograph: Andrea Rossetti
Curated by Ellie Buttrose and commissioned by Creative Australia, Moore’s kith and kin transforms the Australia Pavilion with an expansive, genealogical chart spanning 65,000 years. The artwork bridges the personal and the political. While many of the stories in kith and kin are specific to the artist’s family, they mirror narratives throughout the world. Through this lens Moore highlights our shared ancestry and humanity: through the interconnectedness of people, place and time.
Awarding the accolade, the jury of the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia commented:
“In this quiet, impactful pavilion, Archie Moore worked for months to hand-draw in chalk a monumental First Nation family tree. Thus 65,000 years of history (both recorded and lost) are inscribed on the dark walls and ceiling, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks and grasp the inherent fragility of this mournful archive. The official documents drawn up by the State float in a moat of water. The result of Moore’s intensive research, these documents reflect the high rates of incarceration of First Nations people.
“This installation stands out for its strong aesthetic, its lyricism and its invocation of a shared loss of an occluded past. With his inventory of thousands of names, Moore also offers a glimmer of the possibility of recovery.”
Archie Moore, kith and kin, 2024, Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024. Photograph: Andrea Rossetti. © the artist. Image courtesy the artist and The Commercial, Sydney
On receiving this award, Moore said:
“As the water flows through the canals of Venice to the lagoon, then to the Adriatic Sea, it then travels to the oceans and to the rest of the world – enveloping the continent of Australia – connecting us all here on Earth. Aboriginal kinship systems include all living things from the environment in a larger network of relatedness, the land itself can be a mentor or a parent to a child. We are all one and share a responsibility of care to all living things now and into the future.
“I am very grateful for this accolade; it makes me feel honoured to be rewarded for the hard work one does. I am grateful to everyone who has always been part of my journey – from my kith to my kin – to my Creative Australia team and everyone else back home and those of the Venice lagoon.”
Buttrose adds:
“Archie Moore profoundly affects those who listen. kith and kin enfolds all of us into Archie’s family. To be kin is to carry responsibilities; duties for each other and all living things throughout time. This commendation is a celebration of Archie’s generosity – it is an honour to witness his art.”
