Installation view of Diamond Stingily “In the middle but in the corner of 176th place" 2019, Proposed acquisition with funds donated by Neilson Foundation, 2020<br/>
© Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Tom Ross

‘I grew up playing a lot of sports, and my brothers are all athletes and so is my sister. The work mainly focuses on classism, the idea of being elite and my personal experiences with those ideas … I think trophies, in a way, to me at least, are a very American thing – the athlete mindset and being competitive at a really young age. Also, I feel like there’s more emphasis on the Black body to be good at some type of labour. I think trophies, they’re always doing some type of position, like in the middle of doing something. Usually within the media, or even photography, Black people are always in motion. You never can just be at rest. My work is tied to racism and classism, if you look at the plaques. I think Americans don’t really play sports just to play a sport. It’s looked at more as damn near a career. The personal, social and political, they all essentially connect, but they’re not identical. So, there’s a lot of things within these trophies that people can look at and resonate with, but it’s not a universal piece. I’m not trying to make it a universal piece. It’s very personal.’

NGV Triennial 2020 Playlist

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An interview with Jeff Koons In conversation with NGV Director Mindfulness in Taekwondo Asia Society X NGV Triennial conversations | Dhambit Munuŋgurr In conversation with Myles Russell-Cook Salon et Lumière | A Telstra Creativity and Innovation Series presentation NGV Triennial | JR’s Homily to Country NGV Triennial | Introducing Homily to Country Presented by Ewan McEoin Triennial conversations | JR / Rivers in decline Badger Bates, Gabrielle Chan, Rachel Strachan and Alan Whyte in conversation with Ewan McEoin Triennial conversations | Revising narratives Claire G. Coleman, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, Timothy Moore and Scotty So in conversation with Pip Wallis Triennial conversations | Resonant nature Refik Anadol and Dr Tessa Laird in conversation with Simone LeAmon Triennial conversations | Nature as collaborator Talin Hazbar, Elliot Bastianon, Geoff Nees and Hannah Presley in conversation with Myf Doughty Triennial conversations | Oceans on the edge Professor Madeleine van Oppen, Pirjo Haikola and Alex Goad in conversation with Ewan McEoin Triennial conversations | Get real estate Jill Garner, Amy Muir and Michael Bleby in conversation with Ewan McEoin Triennial conversations | Future First Nations Megan Cope, Angela Tiatia and Hannah Presley in conversation with Myles Russell-Cook Triennial conversations | A Dark Horizon Dr. Edward Colless and Professor Larissa Hjorthin in conversation with Dr. Simon Maidment Triennial conversations | House Of Heroines Lara Schnitger in conversation with Pip Wallis Triennial conversations | Quantum memories Refik Anadol in conversation with Simone LeAmon Triennial conversations | Downtime Faye Toogood in conversation with Simone LeAmon Triennial conversations | Crystalline Erez Nevi Pana in conversation with Ewan McEoin Triennial profile | Glenda Nicholls Triennial profile | Diamond Stingily Triennial profile | Liam Young Triennial profile | JR Interview with William Badger Bates Triennial profile | Refik Anadol Triennial profile | Tomoaki Suzuki Triennial profile | Faye Toogood Triennial profile | Alicja Kwade Triennial profile | Fred Wilson Triennial profile | Porky Hefer Triennial profile | Kengo Kuma Installing JR’s Homily to Country NGV Triennial 2020 Preparing for NGV Triennial 2020 Celebrating contemporary art, design and architecture Bringing NGV Triennial 2020 to life Celebrating contemporary art, design and architecture