Archie Moore wins coveted ‘Golden Lion’ at the Venice Biennale
Archie Moore has become the first Australian artist to scoop the coveted ‘Golden Lion’ award for ‘Best National Participation’ at the Venice Biennale in Italy.
The prestigious event, which is now in its 60th year, is a stalwart of the art calendar, and the exhibition is set to run until November 24th. Moore, a First Nations artist, celebrated his ancestral roots in his piece, titled kith and kin, which was handed the top prize.
For the moving piece, Moore traced back his family’s DNA for 65,000 years to create a genealogical chart which was illustrated in white chalk on black walls. Moore explored his Kamilaroi, Bigambul and British heritage, which he brought together through the medium of art in celebration of his First Nations history.
Upon selecting Moore as the winner, the judges of the ‘Golden Lion’ said in a statement: “In this quietly powerful Pavilion, Moore worked for months to hand draw with chalk a monumental First Nations family tree. Thus 65,000 years of history—both recorded and lost—are inscribed on the dark walls as well as on the ceiling, asking viewers to fill in blanks and take in the inherent fragility of this mournful archive.”
Meanwhile, the Australian added: “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.”
The artist continued: “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,” Moore powerfully concluded.
Kith and Kin ties in beautifully with the overarching theme of this year’s Venice Biennale, which is titled Foreigners Everywhere. Elsewhere, the Kosovo Pavilion were highlighted for the installation The Echoing Silences of Metal and Skin, which explores the devastating impact of the Kosovo War in 1999.
Additionally, New Zealand’s Mataaho Collective was celebrated with the ‘Golden Lion’ for best participant for their 2022 piece, Takapau. In their speech, they thanked the ceremony for “uplifting so many Indigenous and queer voices”.
