NGV Triennial 2020 installation view of Refik Anadol (designer); Refik Anadol Studio, Los Angeles (design studio) Quantum memories 2020. Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Proposed acquisition with funds donated by Loti & Victor Smorgon Fund and Barry Janes and Paul Cross, 2020
© Refik Anadol. Photo: Tom Ross
Art events are finally back on across Australia, and we couldn’t be more pleased about the exciting year ahead with exciting in-person tours for Guest Club. To get your year of art started, we recommend two blockbuster events in Melbourne, a must-see exhibition in Queensland, and two over-seas art offerings that come with virtual galleries and online screenings.
NGV Triennial 2020 at National Gallery of Victoria, Southbank VIC
Have you been down to the National Gallery of Victoria yet for the biggest art exhibition of the year? The NGV Triennial 2020 has one-upped COVID by bringing artists together from across the world — including Refik Anadol’s artificial intelligence (AI), large-scale immersive multimedia artwork and Jeff Koon’s kitschy Venus. Plus ample Australian talent such as Tony Albert, Hannah Brontë, Angela Tiatia, and Atong Atem. Continues until 18 April.
PHOTO21, various locations around Melbourne.
After postponing from last year, PHOTO21 is finally going ahead — bringing the most intriguing photographers of our time to sites across Melbourne. Set aside a weekend or two and explore the city, with exhibitions from acclaimed South African artist Zanele Muholi, 2020’s Sydney Biennale Artistic Director Brook Andrews, and up-and-coming Melbourne-based Hayley Millar-Baker. 18 February - 7 March.
Unfinished Business: The Art Of Gordon Bennett at Gallery Of Modern Art, Brisbane QLD
A must-see if you are in Queensland, QAGOMA looks back at Gordon Bennett’s long career, remixing contemporary art theory from an Australian perspective. The exhibition reveals Bennett’s inspiration from art-icons like Jackson Pollock and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as the artist reflects on his own cross-cultural identity. Continues until 21 March.
Artificialis by Laurent Grasso at Musee d’Orsay, Paris France
Even with international travel off the cards, we can still visit Paris’ Musee d’Orsay through YouTube. Artificialis, by French artist Laurent Grasso, intersects the historic architecture and classical art with his immersive video that asks us to consider nature and culture as entwined subjects. Read more in this insightful article from Wallpaper. Continues until 2 May.
Ten Thousand Things by Miriam Cahn and Claudia Martínez Garay at Sifang Art Museum, Nanjing China
Curated by Xiaoyu Weng, Ten Thousand Things brings together Swiss artist Miriam Cahn and Peruvian artist Claudia Martínez Garay for a site-specific installation within the Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing, China. While we aren’t able to experience the exhibition in person, the virtual gallery offers poignant reminders to consider the depths of contemporary art, and it’s critical messages. Learn more about the show via Ocula’s visual essay. Continues until 23 May.