An Archive of Mirka Mora’s Art Is Up for Auction (Here’s How You Can Keep It in the Public Eye)

Mirka Mora’s surrealist art is full of imaginative and colourful characters. Across mediums including paint, fabric, soft-sculpture dolls, mosaics and murals, her whimsical works have made their way onto our city streets, and into our wardrobes. The seminal French-born Australian artist passed away in August 2018, and a significant archive of her work is now up for sale, meaning some pieces could up in private collections.

Lucy Feagins, editor and founder of the Design Files, is spearheading Mirka for Melbourne, a crowdfunding campaign to raise $100,000 to acquire the artworks and install them at the Heide Museum of Modern Art for the public to view.

“It’s a really important archive. [We can’t] let that go into someone’s drawer at home,” Feagins says. “If we don’t come up with the funds now, there’ll be no ability for Heide to acquire a group of this stuff.”

The auction is scheduled for March 3, when 800 of Mora’s belongings including sketchbooks, diaries, painting materials, personal items, dolls and teddies, and approximately 40 works of art will be sold at Leonard Joel Auction House.

“You have to imagine being 50 years into the future and looking back,” Feagins says. “[It] will mean a lot for her legacy.”

At the time of publishing just eight days remain to raise the funds, but more than $61,000 has already been pledged. If the $100,000 target is reached, Feagins says Heide will be acquire the majority of Mora’s estate. You can donate as little as two dollars, but $60 buys you a Mirka Mora T-shirt, and $1,100 will get you a limited-edition print.

Mora was a big collector – her studio doubled as her living space. If the campaign is successful, the team at Heide plans to turn these treasured pieces into an exhibition visualising the imaginative world and working space of Mora.

Donate to Mirka for Melbourne here. You can view works up for auction as part of Leonard Joel's "The Magical Studio of Mirka Mora" at 333 Malvern Road in South Yarra from February 27 to March 3.

Mirka for Melbourne
leonardjoel.com.au

This piece was updated on Monday February 25 to correct the number of artworks up for auction, as well as details around specific auction items and the management of Mirka Mora's estate.