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
Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi
9 June to 8 October
NGV International, Ground Level
Because of his ability to evoke intense emotion with colour and line, Pierre Bonnard is one of the most beloved artists of the twentieth century. His landscapes bring the feeling of the bright French summer during a cold Melbourne winter. This warmth is intensified through the exhibition design, curated by India Mahdavi. By unexpectedly pairing the celebrated painter with a relatively unknown designer, the NGV creates a unique experience to the Winter Masterpiece series, while also examining the work of Bonnard through contemporary light.
Ballarat International Foto Biennale
26 August to 22 October
Art Gallery of Ballarat
Alongside Andy Warhol’s Polaroid photographs, in which one could recognise numerous iconic American celebrities, are the portraits taken by Platon which memorialize iconic contemporary figures, ranging from Vivienne Westwood to Vladimir Putin. That, and much more, can be discovered in the Victorian countryside with the return of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale this year.
Always Modern: The Heide Story
13 May 2023 to 4 February 2024
Heide Museum of Modern Art
Discover the remarkable origin story of Heide through this exhibition of highlights from the museum’s collection. In 1934, the Reeds purchased the property and changed the farmhouse into a cultural hub. Their home became the meeting place for artists wanting to foster the development of an antipodean modernism, enticing names such as Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Joy Hester, Charles Blackman and Mirka Mora. Always Modern: The Heide Story delves into the visual history of the iconic Melbourne gallery.
NSW
Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture
14 July to 24 September
Tweed Regional Gallery
The Olive Cotton Award is a biennial photographic portraiture competition honoring Olive Cotton, the renowned photographer who worked closely with (and married) Max Dupain. The award showcases work from photographers across Australia, offering a significant platform for both established and emerging artists.
Gerwyn Davies Replica, this year’s winner and Ferne Millen No Labels Required, the recipient of the Director's Choice Award are accompanied by 70 more entries – who will win the People's Choice Award?
Margaret Olley: Far from Life
22 March to 8 October
Tweed Regional Gallery
Meg Stewart's biography, 'Margaret Olley: Far from a Still Life,' serves as the inspiration for this exhibition, which commemorates the centenary of Margaret Olley's birth. Presenting a diverse selection of the artist’s oeuvre, alongside her portrait by Ben Quilty and contemporary interpretations of Olley’s home studio, 'Far from a Still Life' is a celebration of Margaret Olley and a tribute to her lasting impact on Australian art.
BOLD
8 August to 22 October
Western Plains Cultural Centre
Colour has the remarkable ability to signify and evoke emotions, influencing us on a psychological level. Throughout history, it has captivated the interest of artists and viewers alike. With a selection of works from the Western Plains Cultural Centre collection, BOLD explores how color serves as both a mirror of reality and a means to convey emotions, concepts, and artistry.
QLD
Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize
15 July to 2 October
Home of the Arts, Gold Coast
For those in Brisbane wishing to visit the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, a closet exhibition may entice. As a celebration of 100 years of the Archibald Prize, an exhibition which explores the history and traces the changing face of our nation is touring Australia and is stopping in the Gold Coast for a few months.
WA
The Antipodean Manifesto
19 August 2023 to 18 February 2024
The Art Gallery of Western Australia
With deep attachment to post-war modernist artistic and literary associations of the Heide circle, seven artists were concerned about the style of abstract art ultimately leading to the death of art. These artists – Charles Blackman, Arthur Boyd, David Boyd, John Brack, Robert Dickerson, John Perceval, and Clifton Pugh – believed in recognizable images and subject matter, elements that they felt were being lost. Drawing from the manifesto written by this group, and art historian Bernard Smith, The Antipodean Manifesto explores the similarities that brought the artists together and how they celebrated figurative art during the rising popularity of abstraction.
SA
ACT
The Iconoclasts
Ongoing
NGA
The portraiture work of artists, such as Arthur Boyd, Eric Thake, Judy Cassab and Clifton Pugh, are on display this year at the National Portrait Gallery. This collection explores the influence of European modernism on Australian art during the 20th century, a century which saw great political, social and cultural change.
NT
40: Celebrating four decades of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards
29 April 2023 to 4 February 2024
MAGNT
For the last 40 years, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory have celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and artists. See the institution’s presentation of culture and creativity from across the nation through art.