National Gallery of Victoria
NGV International & NGV Australia
22 November 2013 – 23 March 2014
As one of my first projects with the NGV, I contributed as a lead curator of the first iteration of Melbourne Now, which reset the city’s relationship with its major art gallery. Achieving enormous audience attendance and participation, it welcomed 753,071 visitors; an increase of 32% compared with the same time period the previous year. Further, it re-engaged en masse the art and design communities of Melbourne and featured over 400 individual practitioners in the exhibition and more in the associated programming (which included music, dance and performance as well as programs for children).
Melbourne Now celebrates the latest art, architecture, design, performance and cultural practice to reflect the complex creative landscape of Melbourne. The exhibition involves more than 175 individual and group presentations, as well as a suite of special projects which extend from the visual arts to architecture and design, dance and choreography, performance art and sound.
This ambitious and far-reaching exhibition across The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and NGV International presents the various ways in which visual artists and creative practitioners profoundly contribute to the society in which we live, and to Melbourne as a city with a unique and dynamic cultural identity.
Melbourne Now is a collaborative, cross-disciplinary project that has involved staff from all areas of the NGV, as well as a team of guest curators and artistic collaborators whose expertise and networks represent the excellence and diversity of Melbourne’s cultural community.
Melbourne Now includes a series of ‘exhibitions within the exhibition’, commissions for children and families, installations by artists engaging with the NGV collection, off-site and special projects and a Community Hall and garden inviting a wide range of community expression.
The Melbourne Now project is supported by a suite of dedicated publications, including a limited-edition volume, an exhibition guide, a children’s book, and a free ebook, which will be updated over the course of the exhibition. Download the ebook from the App Store or view it online. In addition, a Melbourne Now App has been developed that allows visitors to explore the exhibition and public programs – to plan itineraries, discover multimedia content and find out where and when special events and new activities are happening. Download your free app now.
A complete list of works on display is available for download.
Melbourne Now is designed to promote engagement with contemporary art in new and dynamic ways by harnessing the creative energies of Melbourne’s wider community. Welcome to Melbourne Now.
Exhibition website http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/melbournenow/