Your Guide to Art Exhibitions Across Australia
Immerse yourself in the dynamic realm of Australian art and culture,
brought to life by an eclectic range of exhibitions. Take a sneak peek
into the ongoing showcase of creativity that awaits you.
VIC
Cats & Dogs
November 1 - July 20 2025
NGV Australia; The Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square
Cats & Dogs explores humanity’s deep connection with its domesticated companions through over 250 works of art and design, featuring a diverse range of media and periods. Drawn from the NGV Collection, the exhibition highlights how cats and dogs have been a rich source of visual inspiration from ancient history to the present.
NSW
Peter Kingston
Peter Kingston ‘Circular Ski’
June 8 - May 18 2025
State Library - New South Wales
Joyful and charming, Peter Kingston is a witty printmaker who is beloved by Australians. In this tribute to the artist, the State Library showcase his love for his hometown. Like his friend and fellow artist Brett Whiteley, Kingston's kinship with Sydney has become part of its cultural identity. Explore the bustling city, iconic landmarks and serene bays through the eyes of the iconic printmaker.
ACT
Ethel Carrick
Ethel Carrick, Esquisse en Australie [Sketch in Australia] 1908, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra (Source: Smith and Singer)
December 7 - April 27 2025
National Gallery of Australia
Ethel Carrick was a pioneering post-impressionist artist whose bold, vibrant works spanned Europe, India, North Africa and Australia. This retrospective, featuring 140 works, offers a comprehensive look at her diverse career, highlighting her distinctive artistic contributions both nationally and internationally. It is the first major exhibition of her work in nearly fifty years, providing a fresh perspective on her significant legacy.
QLD
The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
Rithika Merchant ‘Temporal Structures’ 2023 (Image courtesy: The artist, TARQ, Mumbai and QAGOMA)
November 30 - April 27 2025
QAGOMA
Showcasing compelling new art, the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art features seventy artists, collectives, and projects from over 30 countries. Telling stories through material and technique, the artists have explored themes like environmental care, cultural heritage, and migration. Curated by artists and cultural experts, the exhibition aims to inspire, uplift and move viewers.
New Light: Photography Now + Then
Christopher Rimmer ‘We Will Live Forever, South Australia’
August 17 - July 13 2025
Museum of Brisbane
The "New Light: Photography Now + Then" exhibition explores photography from 1890 to 2024, highlighting the rediscovered works of Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott. Seven contemporary photographers will create new works inspired by Elliott's collection, while Brisbane's photography community will showcase their responses. The exhibition aims to blend historical and modern perspectives, encouraging new ways of viewing our past and present.
WA
Perth Festival
Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak (Image Courtesy: CultureCounts)
February 7 - March 8
Australia’s longest-running arts festival, Perth Festival offers world-class performances, music, film, visual arts, and literary events every summer. Founded by The University of Western Australia and grounded on Noongar Boodjar, it celebrates Perth's culture and rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions, fostering cultural growth and engaging diverse audiences.
From February 8 to April 20, the Perth Festival is presenting multiple art exhibitions. See more information about these exhibitions below.
Kate Mitchell | Idea Induction
Form and feeling: artists’ studies of the twentieth century
December 21 2024 - May 4 2025
Art Gallery of Western Australia
“Form and Feeling: Artists’ Studies of the Twentieth Century" examines the importance of drawing in the work of British and Australian artists like Stanley Spencer, William Dobell, Russell Drysdale, and Frank Auerbach. The exhibition, sourced from The State Art Collection, includes significant figurative oil paintings and their preparatory drawings, focusing on the artists' techniques and processes. It also highlights how drawing served as a creative exploration tool for emerging Modern artists and how the politics of institutional collections post-WWII impacted Australian art history.
SA
Rethinking Australian Art
Philippe Le Miere ‘Alice Kelly and Family’
Currently Showing
Art Gallery of South Australia
By re-hanging these selected artworks from their collection, the Art Gallery of South Australia aims to re-explore Australian Art History. Challenging the notion of a national art scene that was isolated or singular, this presentation of art showcases the intricate and revolutionary shifts that took place in Australian art following the Second World War - including the emergence of Aboriginal art, the momentum of the Feminist art movement, and the ascent of conceptual art and postmodernism.
Radical Textiles
November 23 - March 30 2025
Art Gallery of South Australia
Offering a means of storytelling and connection during times of crisis, textiles have long played a significant role in moments of social change and political upheaval. 'Radical Textiles' highlights the innovative and enduring power of textiles over the past 150 years, featuring over 100 artists and designers, and drawing from AGSA’s diverse collections to explore the intersection of fabric, art, and activism.
TAS
NAMEDROPPING
Image Courtesy: Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart.
June 15 - April 21 2025
Museum of Old and New Art
‘NAMEDROPPING’ delves into our fascination with certain objects and figures, examining the factors that elevate names like Picasso, Van Gogh, and Warhol to iconic status. It questions the nature of status and its utility, exploring whether our preferences are driven by culture, nature, or a deeper connection to our ancestral roots. Through a blend of art and thought-provoking inquiry, the exhibition invites reflection on how these influences shape both individual choices and the broader cultural landscape.