Tracey Moffatt Sorted – a look at her Archive, Chau Chak Wing Museum

Over the course of her four-decades 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 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.