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Venice Biennale 2024

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Overview of the Australia at the Venice Biennale 2024 project 

Australia Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia

Artist Archie Moore
Curator Ellie Buttrose
Commissioner Creative Australia
Exhibition Dates 20 April – 24 November 2024
Exhibition Title kith and kin
Artwork Credit Artwork credit: kith and kin 2024 
Ink on polyester, water, composite board, paint, aluminium, steel, pigment and clay crayon, methyl acetate 
499.8 x 1588 x 1498cm 
Artwork courtesy of the artist and The Commercial 

Australian artists in the main exhibition  

Esteemed First Nations artists, Marlene Gilson  and  Naminapu Maymuru-White, presented significant bodies of work as part of  Foreigners Everywhere – Stranieri Ovunque, curated by Adriano Pedrosa.   

Their presentation was supported by Creative Australia. Read the media release.  

About kith and kin 

kith and kin is a memorial dedicated to every living thing that has ever lived, it is a space for quiet reflection on the past, the present and the future’ Archie Moore 

First Nations peoples of Australia are among the oldest continuous living cultures on earth; Archie Moore’s kith and kin affirms this by tracing the artist’s Kamilaroi and Bigambul relations over 65,000+ years. His choice of materials for this celestial map of names — fragile chalk on blackboard — addresses the insufficient dissemination of Indigenous histories.  

The complexity of First Nations kinship systems exceeds the standard genealogical chart. Archie’s extensive drawing captures the common ancestors of all humans, emphasising our kinship responsibilities to each other. In a Kamilaroi understanding of time, past, present and future are co-present. By placing tens of thousands of years of kin on a single continuum, Archie enfolds audiences within the everywhen.  

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.  

On 20 April 2024, kith and kin received the prestigious Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the Venice Biennale. The work was later acquired by the Australian Government and gifted to the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane, in partnership with Tate, London. 

Discover more about its journey at kithandkin.me

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

In this section

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
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Artistic team

Find out more about the artist Archie Moore and curator Ellie Buttrose and their presentation at the Venice Biennale 2024.

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Supporters

The success of Australia at the Venice Biennale 2024 was made possible by the generosity of individuals and organisations.

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Tours to Venice

Tours to the Venice Biennale 2026 offered supporters exclusive access to the exhibition facilitated by expert guides.

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News and events

Creative Australia supports artists and creative organisations through a range of activities and programs, including news and events.

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations Peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions.

We are privileged to gather on this Country and through this website to share knowledge, culture and art now, and with future generations.

First Nations Peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have died.

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways, and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions. We are privileged to gather on this Country and to share knowledge, culture and art, now and with future generations.

Art by Jordan Lovegrove