Cope’s work often resists prescribed notions of Aboriginality and examines psychogeographies that challenge the grand narrative of ‘Australia’ and our sense of time and ownership in a settler colonial state.
From 2017–19 Cope was the Official Australian War Artist. Cope has undertaken a number of major public art commissions for council, universities, businesses, and corporations including: Monash University, Melbourne Museum, Australian Catholic University, Redland City Council, and Cook University amongst others. Her work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), National Gallery Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Melbourne Museum, Musées de la Civilisation: Canada, Australian War Memorial and more.
Cope’s work has featured in a number of major exhibitions, including: Sharjah Biennale 16, Sharjah City, United Arab Emirates (2025); The 24th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney Opera House (2024); The Soils Project, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands (2024); Reclamer la Terre, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2022); Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Monster Theatres at the Art Gallery of South Australia (2020), The National (2017) at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial (2017) at the National Gallery of Australia, and Sydney Contemporary’s installation program (2019).
