Overview
Never-before-seen works by Aussie artist Mirka Mora are set to take over the Jewish Museum of Australia this December. The St Kilda gallery will unveil Mirka to the public at the end of the year, marking it's first major exhibition since COVID-19 began.
One of Melbourne's most loved artists, Mora is responsible for the first Art Tram in 1978, along with heaps of well-known public murals. Her influence on Australian culture is well-documented, and the exhibition will present a comprehensive picture of the artist's 70-year-long career —specifically in the context of the Jewish Australian experience. Through her work, Mirka will trace Mora's early life in Paris, through to her escape during the Holocaust and eventual migration to Australia in 1947.
Mirka Mora's In the Garden of Dreams (1975-81)
Presented in partnership with William Mora Galleries — run by Mora's son, who will also act as co-curator — the retrospective features pieces from the private collection of the Mora family, along with letters and diaries written by Mora. Interviews with the Jewish Holocaust Centre archives and works recently acquired by Melbourne's Heide Museum of Modern Art will also be on display.
Works will include Mora's famed painting In the Gardens of Dreams, along with images from Mora's gallery circa 1967. The gallery itself will be transformed into an "immersive Mirka world" reflecting the bohemian nature and mischievous spirit that the artist is known for.
Of course, exactly when the exhibition will open to the public is dependant on the pandemic. Under the Victorian Government's current roadmap, galleries and museums are set to open as part of step four on Monday, November 23.
Mirka will open in the Jewish Museum of Australia in December 2020. For more information and exact opening dates, keep an eye on the website.