In 2022, the National Gallery of Australia celebrates its 40th anniversary, and curators, artists and writers have drawn heavily from the Gallery’s archives to celebrate and articulate its identity. This paper explores how National Gallery archive staff have worked in collaboration with curators on art, web, and publication projects to mark the historic occasion; and how rehousing, describing, and researching translates into real world impacts experienced by the public. Artist, Daniel Crooks, for example, was inspired by geometric patterns—found in the Gallery architect’s archive—while creating his work, Structured light, featured in Canberra’s Enlighten Festival. The artwork is a homage to the architect, Col Madigan, and to the DNA of the building. This paper examines curatorial and artistic collaborations with archives and the importance of such partnerships in understanding and communicating Australia’s cultural history.