Share and Follow
The 60th annual outing of the exhibition features 331 artists from around the world.
“So [I use immersive installations] as a way to say, ‘Will Indigenous and non-Indigenous people know and understand each other?’”
‘Dedicated to every living thing’
“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,” Moore said.
Part of Moore’s artwork at Venice Biennale 2024. Source: Supplied / Andrea Rossetti
The words and names adorning the black walls of the pavilion also serve as a visual representation and reminder of the decline of Indigenous languages as a result of colonisation.
Moore also features his family’s personal historic documents such as a court conviction from when his great uncle accidentally killed his father during a fight over their paltry wages; and reports by the Protector of Aboriginals denying Moore’s grandparents access to rights that non-Indigenous citizens had – such as freedom of movement.
The reports from hundreds of coronial inquests into the deaths of First Nations people in police custody. Credit: Andrea Rossetti
Curator of the exhibition Ellie Buttrose said the artwork was a declaration of the sovereignty of the artist and his people.
The central exhibition at the Venice Biennale this year is “Foreigners Everywhere” and Indigenous artists are the heart of it.
The kith and kin exhibition is on display from 20 April – 24 November. Queensland Art Gallery’s Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) plans to present kith and kin as part of its 2025-26 program.
