Queensland artist Archie Moore to compete in global art Olympics

A Queensland artist has been given the honour of representing the nation at the art world’s answer to the Olympics and State of Origin all rolled into one. Here’s what it means.

The Australia Council has announced leading Queensland First Nations artist Archie Moore will represent Australia at the Venice Biennale in 2024, with the exhibition to be curated by QAGOMA’s Ellie Buttrose.

Next year is the 25th edition of Australia’s participation in the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest and arguably biggest international contemporary visual art event. It’s a cross between the Olympics and a visual arts State of Origin.

Moore, who lives on Lamb Island in Moreton Bay and the Redlands, is a contemporary artist whose career has spanned more than 25 years. The Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist works across a range of media to create artworks that explore both the personal and political. While his artistic practice reflects his personal background and confronts Australia’s national history, the powerful picture that it paints about the need for justice can be extrapolated worldwide.

“Thank you all for your tremendous belief in my proposed work for the Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale behemoth,” Moore said.

“I would like to express my deep gratitude to all involved in making my team’s proposal the successful project for 2024.”

Queensland artist Archie Moore and QAGOMA curator Ellie Buttrose are teaming up to represent Australia at the 2024 Venice Biennale

Curator and critic Ellie Buttrose serves as the Curator of Contemporary Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. She said she feels “honoured that Archie has entrusted me to curate such a significant exhibition”.

“Archie is singular in his ability to engage audiences on an emotional level through memories and familial stories in artworks that stimulate discussion about how we bear the responsibility for social change,” Buttrose said. “Exhibiting at the Venice Biennale provides a timely and critical opportunity for Archie’s practice, offering an artistic outcome that will emotionally connect international audiences with the imperative act of truth-telling. Artistically adroit and politically incisive, Archie is uniquely placed to confront Australia’s past and assert Indigenous sovereignty on a worldwide scale within the Australia Pavilion between 20 April – 24 November 2024.”

His Mission from God 2012 series is in the QAGOMA Collection. According to QAGOMA director Chris Saines it “reconstructs nine important mission churches from Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reserves from the pages of miniature bibles.”

Archie Moore’s On a Mission from God (Darnley Island) 2012 features cut, folded and glued pages from miniature gold-cased bible. Purchased 2012 with funds from the Estate of Jessica Ellis through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation

“These artworks examine the supporting role these churches played in the government’s control and assimilation of Indigenous Australian people and in the destruction of culture,” Saines said.

Australia Council Executive Director First Nations Arts and Culture Franchesca Cubillo said the exhibition “comes during a significant milestone as the Australia Council marks 50 years of dedicated investment to First Nations arts and culture – and to have an esteemed First Nations artist such as Archie Moore represent Australia on this global platform is something that all Australians can take pride in and celebrate.”

The successful artistic team was selected based on the advice of a panel of independent industry advisers including national and international visual arts experts.

Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke said Archie Moore was “a perfect choice for Australia’s exhibition at the Venice Biennale”.

Queensland artist Tony Albert was among the artists short-listed for Venice.

Fellow Queensland Indigenous Artist Tony Albert was also short-listed for the Venice Biennale

Australia’s representation within the Venice Biennale has been philanthropically supported since the early 1980s. In 2024, this co-investment approach is led by the Australia Council Chair and Chair of the Venice Biennale Ambassadors, Mr Robert Morgan, who said that “Australia’s participation at the Venice Biennale is a wonderful example of what can be achieved by successfully bringing together public and private investment”.

The Australia Council will continue its role as the commissioner for Australia in the category of National Participation and work closely with the artistic team to produce the exhibition in the Australia Pavilion. The Council will also work closely with QAGOMA to facilitate a Brisbane exhibition following the conclusion of the Venice Biennale 2024.