Winning the Venice Biennale's Golden Lion has thrust Archie Moore into the global spotlight and with him, 65,000 years of history

Last Saturday, in a packed auditorium in Venice, dozens of artists and curators from all over the globe gathered for a history-making announcement. Among them was Bigambul and Kamilaroi artist Archie Moore — Australia's representative for the 60th Venice Biennale, the world's pre-eminent art biennial. As described by the jury, Moore's "quiet, impactful pavilion" kith and kin confronts the ongoing legacies of Australia's colonial history, and offers a moving exploration of the universality of family. Moore's mother is among the "kin" featured in his Biennale presentation — she is one of the thousands of names that make up the epic hand-drawn family tree that covers the blackboard-painted walls of the Australia pavilion. Photo shows Kamilaroi and Bigambul artist Archie Moore wears a black hoodie and jeans in front of his work "kith and kin" Country is more than just a setting, it's a collaborative partner and "this sense of belonging deeply rooted in the landscape from birth until death," Moore says.