Category: ART

Regional arts done right: sculpture runs wild at Neerim Artsfest 2026

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Posted: 08/02/2026

This February, the charming town of Neerim South in West Gippsland will transform into a vibrant open-air gallery as the fifth biennial Neerim Artsfest takes center stage. Running from 28 February to 15 March 2026, this free event celebrates contemporary sculptural art in a uniquely regional setting, offering visitors an unforgettable cultural experience. A Celebration of Freedom and Wonder The 2026 festival theme, “The Spirit Soars,” challenges sculptors to create works that evoke freedom, wonder, and visual excitement. The result is a stunning collection of imaginative sculptures displayed throughout Neerim South’s parks, streets, and local venues. From intricate indoor pieces to large-scale outdoor installations, the festival promises to captivate art lovers and casual visitors alike. A Town with a Sculptural Legacy Neerim South’s connection to the arts, particularly sculpture, is deeply rooted in its identity. The town is famously marked by the Neerim Bower, a seven-storey sculptural landmark that greets visitors at its entrance. Just 100 kilometers from Melbourne, Neerim South offers an easy cultural escape with its relaxed village atmosphere and picturesque surroundings. Exploring the Festival Visitors are encouraged to start their journey at Algie Hall, open daily from 10am to 4pm during the festival. Here, they can view indoor sculptures and pick up maps to guide them through the town’s outdoor installations. From there, festivalgoers can wander at their own pace, discovering sculptures nestled among Neerim South’s leafy streetscapes and parklands. Beyond the Art: Discover Gippsland Neerim Artsfest is more than just an art event—it’s an invitation to explore the wider Gippsland region…. Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, MELBOURNE

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SEARCHERS: Graffiti and Contemporary Art Opens at National Art School, Sydney

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Updated: 02/02/2026

The National Art School (NAS) has unveiled a dynamic new chapter in its gallery’s history. Celebrating 20 years of the National Art School Gallery, the institution presents SEARCHERS: Graffiti and Contemporary Art, a major exhibition running as part of the Sydney Festival until 11 April 2026. This ambitious showcase brings together over 35 artists from across four decades, united by a single, compelling medium: spray paint. Curated by Australian artist and NAS lecturer Fiona Lowry alongside NAS Senior Curator Katrina Cashman, SEARCHERS is an exploration of visibility, creative resistance, and the blurred lines between subculture and fine art. The Evolution of the Spray Can Once merely a commercial product introduced in the mid-twentieth century, spray paint rapidly evolved into the defining tool of late-20th-century graffiti. It became the voice of marginalised communities, a weapon of visibility, and a method of reclaiming public space. SEARCHERS traces this evolution, examining how spray paint moves fluidly between the street and the gallery. It highlights how the medium has amplified voices outside institutional frameworks while simultaneously reshaping the visual language of contemporary art itself. Fiona Lowry, the exhibition’s co-curator, found inspiration close to home. “The concept for ‘SEARCHERS’ began at home, watching my son fall into the disciplined, almost monastic world of graffiti,” she explains. “What seemed like a teenage obsession quickly revealed itself as a demanding aesthetic education – a community built on mentorship, repetition and the relentless refining of form.” Lowry recognised a shared intensity between the underground world of graffiti and her own practice as an… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, SYDNEY

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Newcastle just became an arts hub – here’s why…

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Posted: 17/12/2025

Get ready, art lovers! Newcastle is about to unveil a cultural masterpiece. The much-anticipated Newcastle Art Gallery is set to officially reopen its doors on 28 February 2026, and the city is pulling out all the stops with a massive three-day celebration. This isn’t just a reopening; it’s the dawn of a bold new chapter for Newcastle’s cultural scene. Marking the completion of its landmark expansion, the Gallery will debut with its major exhibition, Iconic, Loved, Unexpected. Having more than doubled its footprint, it will stand proudly as the largest public art institution in New South Wales outside of Sydney. This is huge! A Glimpse into the Reimagined Space The transformation is breathtaking. Designed by the award-winning architects Clare Design, in collaboration with Smith and Tzannes Architects and Arup Engineers, the expansion beautifully builds upon the original brutalist architecture. It adds a whopping 1,600 square metres of new exhibition space, allowing the Gallery to showcase its world-class permanent collection like never before. But that’s not all! Visitors can look forward to a secure, international-standard loading dock, a brand-new café and retail shop, a multi-purpose program space, and a dedicated learning studio. For the first time, the Gallery can present long-term displays from its incredible collection alongside ambitious Australian and international exhibitions. The original building, opened by Queen Elizabeth II back in 1977, originated from a bequest in 1945. Today, it holds one of Australia’s finest public art collections, boasting over 7,000 works valued at an incredible $145 million. Let the Celebrations Begin! The reopening party… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE

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New sculpture in Melbourne at Sullivan+Strumpf Gallery

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Updated: 30/11/2025

Sullivan+Strumpf Naarm/Melbourne is thrilled to present Puffs, a new exhibition by internationally celebrated Australian artist Polly Borland. Opening on 27 November and running until 20 December 2025, Puffs marks an exciting evolution in Borland’s sculptural practice, showcasing fresh works that expand on her acclaimed Morph (2018) and Nudies (2021) series. This is a Melbourne sculpture activation, similar to the gallery’s latest in Sydney. A Playful Exploration of Form and Restraint Known for her surreal and abstracted depictions of the human form, Borland’s latest body of work continues her exploration of soft sculpture and photography. Puffs introduces a series of 3D works sculpted on live performers wrapped in Borland’s signature bulbous forms, as seen in recent exhibitions like BOD (2023) and Blob Out (2023). However, this new series takes a bold turn, embracing restraint by revealing silhouettes without the signature padding, offering glimpses of the body within. The result is a collection of deeply engaging forms—both beguiling and unsettling—that invite viewers to search for meaning. These sculptures, at once familiar and alien, reflect the paradox of human existence: our imperfect excellence. As Borland herself notes, her work is driven by a relentless sense of exploration, continually evolving to push the boundaries of her artistic vision. A Career of International Acclaim Polly Borland is one of Australia’s most recognisable contemporary artists, with a career spanning decades and a practice that has captivated audiences worldwide. From her early editorial portraits for leading magazines to her groundbreaking artistic explorations in photography and sculpture, Borland has consistently challenged and redefined… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, MELBOURNE

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Van Eyck, National Gallery: See the once-in-a-lifetime portraits

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Posted: 30/11/2025

In a groundbreaking celebration of one of the Northern Renaissance’s most influential artists, the National Gallery will host the first-ever exhibition dedicated to the portraits of Jan van Eyck. There’s also the works of Catharina van Hemessen to see, too! Opening on 21 November 2026 and running until 11 April 2027, Van Eyck: The Portraits will bring together all nine of the artist’s surviving painted portraits from across Europe, offering an unprecedented opportunity to explore the work of a painter who revolutionised portraiture. A revolutionary approach to portraiture Jan van Eyck (active 1422–1441) is widely regarded as a pioneer of portraiture, transforming the genre and redefining who could be immortalized in art. Moving beyond the traditional depictions of royalty and aristocracy, van Eyck’s sitters included affluent merchants, skilled craftsmen, and even his own family members. His work marked a pivotal moment in art history, capturing a time when access to portraiture expanded to reflect a broader spectrum of society. Emma Capron, Curator of Early Netherlandish and German Paintings at the National Gallery, explains van Eyck’s transformative impact: “Portraiture bursts onto the scene fully formed in the 1430s under the brush of Jan van Eyck. Pushing the possibilities of oil painting to convey a convincing illusion of reality, suddenly we are faced with individuals pulsating with life, every single detail of their appearance captured. These portraits’ ability to baffle by their precision and liveliness is intact today.” Exceptional reunions and rare loans The exhibition will feature extraordinary reunions of van Eyck’s works, including the National Gallery’s… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

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Big art in Sydney: the Sydney Biennale is back for 2026

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Posted: 17/11/2025

The Biennale of Sydney has unveiled an exciting lineup of artists, projects, and programming for its 25th edition, Rememory, set to captivate audiences from March 14 to June 14, 2026. Different to previous years, under the artistic direction of internationally renowned curator Hoor Al Qasimi, this edition draws inspiration from Toni Morrison’s concept of “rememory,” delving into the intersections of memory, history, and identity. With 53 artists and collectives from 31 countries already announced – mirroring ambitious numbers of the 2023 Biennale and since! – , Rememory promises a rich and diverse exploration of untold stories and marginalized narratives. Highlights include works by celebrated international artists like Nikesha Breeze, Dread Scott, and Nahom Teklehaimanot, alongside Australian talents such as Abdul Abdullah, Richard Bell, and Wendy Hubert. The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain has also commissioned 15 First Nations artists from around the world, further amplifying Indigenous voices. The Biennale will span five major venues, including the iconic White Bay Power Station, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and Campbelltown Arts Centre, with additional programming extending into Western Sydney and beyond. This expanded footprint underscores a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, inviting audiences to engage with art in both traditional and unexpected spaces. Unmissable Highlights The Biennale’s public programming kicks off with Lights On, an opening night concert at White Bay Power Station on March 13, featuring performances by Nourished by Time and other groundbreaking artists. The Art After Dark series will transform Friday nights with music, art, and food markets, while workshops, talks, and… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

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