We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands.

What do we want?

A person with fringed hair and glasses peaks out from a blue curtain with white clouds. There are painted people on either side, included one with fringed hair and glasses.

Adrienne Doig peaks out from behind her artwork What do we want?

Follow the installation of What do we want?, a new mural created by artist Adrienne Doig for Archie Plus which reflects with wit and heart on her experiences of 2020 and the pandemic. Stretching more than thirty metres, Doig’s mural hums with playful and polemical self-portraits as well as a raucous gathering of the artist’s family, close friends, and collaborators.

Doig’s love of making and making do is evident in the construction of this work, which combines painted cardboard cut-outs with cherished second-hand textiles enlarged digitally. With its many faces and voices, the resulting mural could be described as a collective collage or social patchwork. For Doig, this year of being physically apart has been a chance to reflect on what we want together.

Three people sit in discussion in an office.

Adrienne Doig planning her mural installation with Gallery staff

A long white wall with large tubes of rolled-up printed paper in front of it.

Before installation

A person kneels in front of a section of artwork on a wall while another person stands next to a ladder.

Installing the artwork

In a long hallway a person stands on a ladder in front of a large artwork on the wall with another person standing beside them.

Installing the artwork

A person with fringed hair and glasses stands on the ground next to a person on a ladder in front an artwork on a wall.

Installing the artwork

A person walks down a long hallway where there is a colourful mural depicting a multitude of individuals.

The artwork installed

A figure with fringed hair and glasses holds up a sign that says 'What do we want?'. Next to them on one side is a dog, on the other are other figures, one of whom holds a sign that says '#Let them stay'.

A detail of the work

Five people stand in front of a large mural depicting a multitude of individuals, some holding signs.

Adrienne Doig in front of the mural with Gallery staff members who are depicted in her artwork

A person with fringed hair and glasses stands next to an artwork depicting two figures who also have fringed hair and glasses. One holds a sign that says 'Use your imagination'. The other holds a piece of paper that is headed 'To do list...'

Adrienne Doig with her mural

A bearded person stands smiling and pointing among a group of children in front of a mural.

Archie Plus lead curator Justin Paton with school students visiting the mural

In April 2020 Doig created a video for Together In Art about making toilet paper roll dolls, which inspired art-making around the world.

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