Hosting Archie Moore - Mīal

Hosting a touring exhibition

Mīal, 2022/2023 Archie Moore. © Archie Moore

Archie Moore is a celebrated Kamilaroi and Bigambul artist whose practice is embedded in the politics of identity, racism and language systems. Mīal is a conceptual self portrait that counters expectations of what a self portrait should be. The title, the Bigambul language word for Aboriginal man, announces this group of geometric monochrome paintings as representative of the artist. Mīal probes the politics and codification of skin colour, and the racist historical practice of classifying skin tone to determine the supposed legitimacy and proof of a person’s ‘Aboriginality’. Each painting relates to a part of the artist’s body and is named in his Ancestral languages. The colours of the glossy automotive paint were generated by the artist scanning parts of his body, then converting them to the Pantone colour scale. In 2024, Moore became the first Australian artist to win the Venice Biennale’s prestigious Golden Lion award for best national participation for his solo presentation in the Australia Pavilion, kith and kin.

The National Portrait Gallery’s travelling exhibition program ensures access to the collection for audiences nationwide. In 2025, the Gallery will be touring Archie Moore’s self portrait Mīal. The tour is anticipated to be supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program.

DATES

Tour dates are available from January to December 2025.

NUMBER OF WORKS

Mīal 2022/2023 is considered a single work of art with 34 parts. It is the artist’s intention that the work can be exhibited at a variety of scales with some or all 34 parts on display.

SIZE

The work is approximately 20–30 linear metres for the full work of art (all 34 parts), or less if fewer parts of the work are displayed.

SUPPORT

A National Portrait Gallery representative will organise the freight of this work to each host venue, and our staff will lead the unpacking, condition reporting and installation of the work. The tour will include introductory wall text and a label. An electronic manual will be provided to the venue with all material required for promotion and advertising, including logos, logo-use and acknowledgment specifications, and promotional images.

FEE

$2000 (GST exclusive). This fee includes all freight and courier costs. The price can be negotiated with the venue if it is a barrier to exhibiting the work.

VENUE REQUIREMENTS

In order to support exhibiting Archie Moore’s Mīal,
the venue will need the following:

Straight and stable walls that can be fixed into (this work cannot be hung with hanging wires). The walls must be able to support the loading of numerous 40kg panels. The Gallery will discuss more detailed wall requirements with the venue.
A hydraulic scissor-lift trolley (or similar device), a pallet jack and dolleys.
Climate and humidity stability of 16–25°C (with no more than 4°C change in 24 hours) and 40–60% relative humidity (no more than 10% change in 24 hours; no more than 15% change over entire loan period). This applies to the exhibition space and storage space.
Entry into the exhibition space/loading dock/lifts/relevant doorways wide enough to allow the crate for the works to enter. The crate is 67 (H) x 259 (L) x 124 cm (W) and must travel flat at all times.