Installation view, 23rd Biennale of Sydney: rīvus, 2022, including Yessie Mosby, Maluw Adhil Urngu Padanu Mamuy Moesik (Legends from the deep, sitting peacefully upon the waters), 2022; Torres Strait 8, Poster wall, 2022. Posters by Mooki Pen, Dylan Mooney, Guy Ritani, BlakSeed, Waniki Maluwapi, and Jaelyn Biumaiwai. Courtesy: the artists and Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane. Photography: Document Photography.

The Institute of Modern Art has collaborated with the Biennale of Sydney to commission a new work from the Torres Strait 8, a collective on the frontlines of advocacy for the climate crisis in Zenadh Kes (the Torres Strait Islands and surrounding seas). Led by Yessie Mosby, a Kulkalgal Traditional Owner and member of the group, Torres Strait 8 present a hybrid art-as-protest piece featuring campaign materials created as part of the Our Islands Our Home campaign. Mosby and the Torres Strait 8’s participation in the Biennale and IMA project will continue to magnify the campaign fighting for justice for the communities of Zenadh Kes in holding the Australian Government accountable on climate change policy.

This commission will form the anchor for a broader curation of select works from the 23rd Biennale of Sydney: rīvus that speak to our enduring connections and responsibilities to the natural world. Through the exhibited work, Maluw Adhil Urngu Padanu Mamuy Moesik (Legends from the deep sitting peacefully on the waters) will explore how these potential relationships might decentre the human, prioritise care for Country, and pursue justice in an epoch of rising temperatures and seas.

Artists exhibited include: Zheng Bo, Casino Wake Up Time, Jessie French, Clare Milledge, Marjetica Potrč with Ray Woods, Duke Riley, Torres Strait 8, Hanna Tuulikki, and Zenadh Kes.