Ellie Buttrose is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading curators of visual art.
As curator of the Australia Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, she played a pivotal role in the success of ‘kith and kin’ by Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist Archie Moore that won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation. Significantly, this was the first time an Australian exhibition has won the Golden Lion – the preeminent honour of the art world – in the history of the Biennale since Australia began participating in 1954.
Ms Buttrose, whose work in the field is characterised by precision, expertise and advocacy, has been celebrated in the arts industry for decades. She is the Curator of Contemporary Australian Art at Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), where she has overseen significant exhibitions and championed artists for the collection. Ms Buttrose’s dedication and the trust she has built with artists is evident in the significant artworks that she has commissioned.
If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the world, what would it be?
“I would like to see philosophy and critical thinking skills more deeply integrated into the curriculum. A wider understanding of First Nations approaches would also provide a strong basis for how we relate to one another and the world around us.”
What’s a UQ memory that shaped who you are today?
“The enthusiasm of the lecturers for theory, art and film was infectious and imparted a sense of urgency that compelled me soak up as much knowledge as possible. I remember Professor Rex Butler, an already tall gentleman, jumping with giddy excitement to point to a section of a black and white Franz Klein painting that loomed large but with a tinge of pink thanks to the slightly aged slide in the projector. The desire to share knowledge and foster this same inclination in others is such a wonderful attribute.
