Student talks on art and architecture: Tracey Moffatt Sorted

The second set of student talks will focus on the Chau Chak Wing Museum's Tracey Moffatt Sorted exhibition curated by Katrina Liberiou.

Presentations by Andrew Keene, Emma Lee, Stephanie Putri, Debra Cass, and Charlotte Nielsen will provide insight into key works in the exhibition, situating them within the trajectory of Moffatt’s career and the broader artistic, historical, and political contexts in which her practice emerged.

Exhibition Overview

Over the course of her four-decade-long career, photographer and filmmaker Tracey Moffatt (b. 1960) has produced numerous photographic series and has directed and written many experimental films and videos – all of which have helped solidify her reputation as Australia’s most internationally recognised visual artist. She has held dozens of solo exhibitions and has been included in innumerable group exhibitions in countries worldwide.

Career highlights include her films Nightcries – A Rural Tragedy (1989) and BeDevil (1993) were screened at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, she was the first Australian artist to be honoured with a film retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art New York. In 2017 Tracey represented Australia at the Venice Biennale. In 2021–2022 a series of her photographs were on display at the TATE Modern, London.

The Chau Chak Wing Museum is the recipient of a significant gift of Tracey Moffatt’s artworks, which comprises an edition of every photographic work and every film/video produced since 1985. The Tracey Moffatt Archive also contains ephemera, also known as her “time capsules”, inspired by Andy Warhol, including test prints and idea sketches, personal photographs and correspondence. This is the first collection and archive of its kind donated to an Australian museum.

This project has been produced in collaboration with Tracey Moffatt, who has generously provided complete access to her archive. Shown here, is a tiny percentage of an archive that spans decades, providing insight into the heart and mind of this imaginative and prolific artist.

Student talks on art & architecture are presented by the Power Institute and the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney.