#biennalearte2024

credits videographer jeremy virag - photos andrea bassetti
Simona Cochi's Digital Review of Archie Moore's "Kith and Kin" at the Australian Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2024
Ancestry and Identity: Archie Moore’s Profound Exploration in “Kith and Kin”
The Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024 presents "Kith and Kin," an evocative exhibition by Archie Moore, a distinguished Kamilaroi and Bigambul contemporary visual artist. This work powerfully engages with themes of ancestry, identity, and the interconnection between humans and the environment.
Concept and Theme:
The title "Kith and Kin" reflects a duality in meaning-while commonly understood as "friends and family," Moore also draws on the Old English definition of "kith," which signifies "countrymen" or "those of one's own land." This broader interpretation underscores an Indigenous perspective on the profound connection to place and community.
Exhibition Design:
The walls of the Pavilion are painted with blackboard paint, creating a stark, reflective backdrop for Moore's intricate family tree. This family tree, meticulously researched using resources such as ancestry.com, state archives, national archives, and newspaper records, extends across all four walls and even onto the ceiling. White chalk inscriptions on the black surfaces evoke the traditional classroom, a poignant reference to Moore's own education, which lacked Indigenous history.
Key Elements:
Family Tree: The centerpiece of the exhibition is the extensive family tree that spans 65,000 years, representing the deep lineage of Aboriginal people on the Australian continent. This visual representation serves as a powerful reminder of the continuity and resilience of Indigenous cultures.
Coroner’s Reports Suspended above a pool of water, over 500 documents-primarily coroner’s reports of Aboriginal deaths in custody-float in a solemn tribute. These documents include material related to Moore’s own family, emphasizing the personal and collective trauma experienced by Indigenous communities. The pool of water, reminiscent of shrines and memorials, reflects the documents and the names within the family tree, transforming statistics into human stories.
Ceiling Installation: The ceiling, adorned with the family tree's branches, mimics the night sky. For the Kamilaroi people, the stars represent ancestors, creating a celestial link between the past and the present. This element invites viewers to gaze upwards, contemplating their place within this vast lineage.
Narrative and Impact:
Moore’s installation challenges the erasure of Indigenous history from mainstream education and underscores the interconnectedness of all living things. By incorporating elements that extend beyond human relationships to include animals, plants, and natural features, Moore highlights a holistic kinship system intrinsic to Indigenous cultures.
artist
archie moore
curator
ellie buttrose
commissioner
creative australia
correspondents
djon mundine oam, larissa behrendt oa
creative australia project team
adrian collette am, diego carpentiero, gillian mercer, mikala tai, niwa mburuja, tahjee moar, tahmina maskinyar, with the support from the wider creative australia team
artistic team selection industry advisor panel
carol yinghua lu, colin walker, hammad nasar, stephen gilchrist, victoria lynn
project support
articulate, pelham communication
zia
franca tamisari
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