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.
A People’s Press—Noel Counihan
November 2 - March 10 2025
Geelong Art Gallery
Melbourne-born artist Noel Counihan dedicated his life and work to political and social justice. A prolific painter and draughtsman, he also had a strong printmaking practice which is celebrated in this exhibition. Learn about Counihan's collective approach to printmaking, reflecting the artist’s personal politics and his involvement with cultural cooperatives like the Melbourne Popular Art Group.
Collection Exhibition: ‘A Message from our Sponsor - the Works of Eric Thake’
November 20 - February 1 2025
Town Hall Gallery, Hawthorn
Eric Thake is known for his unique interpretations of Australian life, with a special focus on his humorous Christmas cards created between 1941 and 1975. Discover the wit and whimsy of Thake in this curated exhibition of engravings, linocuts, and photographs from the Boroondara Town Hall Gallery Collection.
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.
Lionel’s Place
Lionel Lindsay ‘Owls’
November 2 - January 5 2025
Performance Arts Culture Cessnock
Lionel Lindsay, Australia's most internationally successful printmaker by 1927, is celebrated in this exhibition titled 'Lionel’s Place'. Featuring over 140 works, this diverse collection of Lindsay’s etchings, wood engravings, and watercolours depict a wide range of subjects from exotic animals and lush gardens to portraits and scenes with rich visual texture and finely honed technique.
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
Me, Also Me
Brett Whiteley ‘The American Dream’ (Image courtesy: Art Gallery of Western Australia)
June 29 - January 5 2025
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Artists, through mirroring, repetition, and alter egos, explore the fluid and shifting nature of identity. In his major painting installation 'The American Dream' (1968–69), Brett Whiteley reflects on his disillusionment with the disparity between America’s promises of freedom and its political realities during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. This exhibition brings this iconic painting into dialogue with works by contemporary artists to explore how personal and political uncertainties can blur the line between reality and fiction.
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.