Kith and Kin is an ancestral mic drop at GOMA

Some artworks you simply see. Others, you experience. Archie Moore’s kith and kin is a total immersion, a quiet encounter with something so monumental it takes a while to sink in. Its vastness takes your breath away. The work made him not only the first artist from Australia, but he also became the first First Nations artist to win the coveted Golden Lion for the best national participation at the Venice Biennale. The artist has painstakingly recreated it at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).

The scale of this homecoming is a story in itself. As curator Ellie Buttrose shared during a recent tour, “GOMA is just so large, we can build a Venetian Pavilion within our walls.” Inside this purpose-built space, a meticulous replica of the Australian Pavilion, Moore’s work unfolds. It is an enormous project and yet, devastatingly simple: just chalk on blackboard. Forget what you think you know about family trees. This is a 65,000-year story of connection, hand-drawn in fragile chalk across soaring 7-metre black walls.

kith and kin

At the very centre of this vast universe of thousands of chalked names is a single, powerful gesture: the word “me.” As Buttrose explains, it’s a way of “inscribing the audience in front of themselves in the work.” Finding “me” at the heart of it is the key. It’s not the beginning of a story looking back, but the artist is in the centre of a vast, sprawling universe of family. At times, the names feel like a constellation in the night sky. The lineage expands in all directions, tracing Moore’s Kamilaroi/Bigambul, British, and Scottish heritage over 2,400 generations.

A large table bearing meticulously ordered stacks of coronial reports on Indigenous deaths in custody sits atop an expansive table over a reflective pool. This stark, unavoidable presentation confronts Australia’s ongoing colonial legacies. The air is still, the room dark; it demands your presence, your quiet contemplation, and your reflection.

“The recording of names, places and time in the family tree drawing serves as proof of identity — evidence of my Aboriginality,” the artist said. Four years of research resulted in Moore chronicling 3,484 people. The ‘holes’ throughout represent a massacre or other devastating event caused by colonialism.

While in Venice, fellow artist Naminapu Maymuru-White from East Arnhem Land was so moved by the installation that she returned with her grandson, Ngalakan Wanambi, a member of the celebrated band King Stingray, to sing to all of the ancestors that Archie Moore had inscribed into the artwork. The installation spoke to Naminapu Maymuru-White in such a way that she presented Archie Moore with a small golden owl.

Cultural Attractions of Australia

Consider seeing kith and kin as part of the exclusive experiences offered by Cultural Attractions of Australia at QAGOMA. Cultural Attractions of Australia offer a level of access that’s not available to the general public. This is not your standard museum tour; it’s a collective of the nation’s top galleries, museums, and performance venues that collaborate to create exclusive, premium events. This is more of a backstage pass to the country’s best cultural assets, designed for those who want a more meaningful connection.

From a private, after-hours tour of an exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, or as part of the MCG Premium Access Tour, walk out onto the beloved ‘G’. These are immersive events that connect you with the experts and the stories behind the collections.

Moore’s kith and kin is a testament to truth-telling on a scale that is at once personal and universal. It’s a quiet, profound mic drop that will resonate long after you leave the gallery. Don’t miss it before it closes on October 18, 2026.

Liz Bond

Liz Bond comes from a PR background and loves fine wine, great food and rewarding travel - all the magnificent things in life. She prides herself in meeting famous celebrities at baggage carousels.