During the last year Museums & Galleries of NSW has toured seven exhibitions nationally, launching two new exhibitions, Material Sound and Just Not Australian. Our exhibitions travel far and wide, with recent destinations including Walkway Gallery, Bordertown (SA), Geraldton Regional Art Gallery (WA), Bendigo Art Gallery (VIC), Bega Valley Regional Gallery (NSW), Cairns Art Gallery (QLD), Riddoch Art Gallery (SA), Canberra Museum and Gallery (ACT), NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Cairns (QLD) and Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery (NSW).

Along with developing the projects and organising logistics, M&G NSW provide support every step of the way for the tour venues: aiding with public programming, offering curatorial advice, providing education resources, and delivering remote as well as on the ground support with the installation and de-installation process.  Below is a selection of our current and previous touring exhibitions that have reached communities throughout Australia.

JUST NOT AUSTRALIAN

Just Not Australian presents work by Australian artists at the forefront of national debate and practice. This exhibition brings together 20 artists across generations and diverse cultural backgrounds to deal broadly with the origins and implications of contemporary Australian nationhood. Showcasing the common sensibilities of satire, larrikinism and resistance so as to present a broad exploration of race, place and belonging, Just Not Australian interrogates what it means to be Australian at this challenging point in time.

Venues for this tour, spanning 2020-2023, include: Tweed Regional Gallery and The Margaret Olley Arts Centre, NSW; Wollongong Art Gallery, NSW; Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Maitland Regional Art Gallery. NSW; Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, NSW; NorthSite Contemporary Art Centre, QLD; Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, QLD; Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Moreton Bay, QLD; Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery, SA; Walkway Gallery, Bordertown, SA and New England Regional Art Museum, NSW.

Visit the Just Not Australian tour page

CULTURAL MEDIATION

M&G NSW has developed a training pack accompanying the Just Not Australian tour which presents a package of resources collated and developed by Museums & Galleries of NSW, with contributions from Aneshka Mora, to assist tour venues, front-of-house staff, educators and volunteers navigate the themes, ideas and issues in the exhibition.

Cultural mediation can be engaged to translate the broad themes and manage the difficult conversations that this exhibition may ignite, as well as provide a vocabulary and further reading to encourage an inclusive and culturally safe space. You can read more about cultural mediation here and find more cultural mediation resources and videos here.

Just Not Australian was curated by Artspace and developed in partnership with Sydney Festival and Museums & Galleries of NSW. The exhibition is touring nationally with Museums & Galleries of NSW. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

MATERIAL SOUND

Material Sound brings together a group of contemporary artists who each create an experience of sound within installations and apparatus constructed from everyday materials.

If we accept that sound is an encounter with a sound wave – one that has a physical effect on our body – then our attention can turn to the circumstances that produced that sound through the material that produced it. The artists in Material Sound lay this process bare for us. Their artworks invite us to observe and in some cases, participate in, the mechanics of sound production and appreciate the physicality of sound. Employing handmade instruments and electronics, recycled electronic components, outmoded or fake technologies, imagined sounds and silence, the works form a series of dynamic installations that challenge the way we think about materiality in a cumulative sound experience.

Venues for this tour, spanning 2020-2022, include: Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Warrnambool Art Gallery, VIC; Plimsoll Gallery, University of Tasmania, TAS; Bayside Gallery, VIC; Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, NSW; Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, QLD; NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Cairns, QLD; Artspace Mackay, QLD; and Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW.

Visit the Material Sound tour page

– Anne FInegan, Material Sound review, Artlink

A Murray Art Museum Albury exhibition, curated by Caleb Kelly and presented nationally by Museums & Galleries of NSW. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

VOID

Void presents a multifaceted concept that brings together contemporary Aboriginal artistic practice from across the country. Curated by Emily McDaniel, the exhibition will feature existing works across the mediums of drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and photography by eminent artists. Educational and public programming is a key feature of the exhibition and tour drawing on resources and research produced through the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at UTS, in conjunction with the exhibition’s curator.

Venues for this tour, spanning 2019-2021, include: Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Canberra Museum and Art Gallery, ACT; Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW; Bendigo Art Gallery, VIC; Geraldton Regional Art Gallery (WA); Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW; Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Arts Centre, NSW; and Artspace Mackay, QLD.

Visit the Void tour page 

VOID EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM

The complex and meaningful themes within Void, and a vocabulary to support them, was established at the Void Education Symposium hosted by Bathurst Regional Art Gallery on 5 December 2019. Through the Symposium, it became evident that it is important for each location to transform and extend Void in consultation with the Elders and Traditional Owners of their unique community, and with consideration to localised conversations and knowledge. Volunteer, education and front-of-house staff are often the first people within galleries and museums to be confronted with difficult questions from audiences, and are also the people charged with the role of creating safe spaces for discussion, curiosity, complexity, and exploration tailored to the needs of their community.

– Visitor commenting on VOID at Bathurst Regional Gallery, 2019

An exhibition curated by Emily McDaniel, in conjunction with UTS Gallery and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, presented nationally by Museums & Galleries of NSW. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

ARLO MOUNTFORD : DEEP REVOLT

Working across video, sculpture and drawing, Arlo Mountford’s practice questions our individual and collective memories of the artistic canon.

This tour is travelling to the following venues, across five states, between 2019 and 2021: Shepparton Art Museum, VIC; Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, WA; Orange Regional Gallery, NSW; Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, NSW; Maitland Regional Gallery, NSW; and Walkway Gallery, Bordertown, SA.

Visit the Arlo Mountford : Deep Revolt tour page

– Dr Rebecca Coates, Director, Shepparton Art Museum, Victoria, Arlo Mountford Deep Revolt, 2018

‘The opportunity to tour this exhibition regionally is exciting, the exhibition and the works themselves do manage to operate on multiple levels engaging both children and the seasoned art audience through a combination of technical execution, humour, history and self-reflexive response on my part. I feel this ‘relatability’ present in the works acts as gateway to engage with the more challenging conversations about what art is and how it might operate. Which is an interesting discussion to have at any time but might be even more interesting in the context of regional Australia.’ – Arlo Mountford, Arlo Mountford Deep Revolt, 2018

‘Working with Mountford at La Trobe, and more recently as Head of Art at the Australian War Memorial, I can attest to the unique and fascinating nature of his practice and the richness of his work in both ideas and techniques. It is crucial that these kinds of practices are experienced by audiences outside metropolitan centres, and brought in to the national dialogue on Australian contemporary arts. In my experience Arlo’s work also has very broad audience appeal and the exhibition is likely to attract strong visitation to the host galleries. For the artist, it is an opportunity to reflect on his practice to date and experience it recontextualised throughout regional Australia. This kind of experience will likely inform and enhance his future career and the professional development opportunities are both rare and key for an artist entering the mid-stages of their practice.’ – Ryan Johnston, Director, Buxton Contemporary, Victoria, Arlo Mountford Deep Revolt, 2018

A Goulburn Regional Art Gallery and Museums & Galleries of NSW touring exhibition. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. 

EUGENIA LIM : THE AMBASSADOR

Between February 2019 and March 2021, this exhibition will travel to: Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art, SA; Nautilus Arts Centre – City of Port Lincoln, SA; Riddoch Art Gallery, SA; Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW; Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Griffith Regional Art Gallery, NSW and Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW.

Visit the Eugenia Lim : The Ambassador tour page

– Eugenia Lim, Eugenia Lim The Ambassador, 2019

‘Eugenia Lim’s practice speaks to the core of 4A’s mission over the past 21 years, which seeks to facilitate cultural dialogue between Australia and Asia in the belief that Asian cultural thinking significantly shapes the world today and will have an important impact on the future. Eugenia’s voice is crucial to the future development of the Australian arts landscape. Her nuanced practice contains rich imagery and metaphor that greatly resonates with audiences. This tour will provide Eugenia Lim the opportunity to present work to new and largely untested audiences in remote and regional parts of Australia and participate in her first touring project –– seeding the potential for future collaboration and greater acknowledgment and engagement with her practice. This would represent a career milestone, consolidating a decade old practice.’ – Dr Mikala Tai, Director, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Eugenia Lim The Ambassador, 2018

‘For the Samstag Museum, Eugenia Lim’s The Ambassador project will be a key focus of our program for the 2019 Adelaide Festival. Attracting large and diverse audiences to Samstag Museum, the two-week long celebration of creative excellence brings together an outstanding mix of internationally acclaimed theatre productions, world-class musicians, breathtaking dance and cutting edge visual arts.’ – Erica Green, Director, Anne and Gordon Samstag Museum of Art, Eugenia Lim The Ambassador, 2018

The BVRG aims to bring communities together, to build and share their identity, history, creativity and culture. Eugenia Lim The Ambassador provides us with the perfect opportunity to explore these themes within our community. The project will provide our visitors with the chance to interact with an artist who explores cultural tensions yet imagines a world where pluralism and empathy are the common ground, a place where people are curious about each other instead of afraid.’ – Iain Dawson, Director, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, Eugenia Lim The Ambassador, 2018

– Jo Besley, Gallery Curator, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Eugenia Lim The Ambassador, 2018

A 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art and Museums & Galleries of NSW touring exhibition. This project is assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

MONTAGES: THE FULL CUT 1999-2015 TRACEY MOFFAT AND GARY HILLBERG

Montages: The Full Cut 1999–2015 presents the full suite of 8 montage films by artist Tracey Moffatt and collaborator Gary Hillberg. Presented together for the first time, the exhibition spans 16 years of the artist and editor’s collaborative practice and includes their most recent work, The Art (2015).

The exhibition is an ode to cinema and to the cinematic form, offering unprecedented insight into the stereotypes that populate our collective cultural imagination. In this suite of montages, Moffatt and Hillberg source footage from Hollywood films, tapping into the humour and pathos of universally shared subjects like art, revolution, love and destruction.

This tour’s extensive itinerary spans 2017 to 2021 and includes: Shepparton Art Museum, VIC ; Blacktown Arts Centre, NSW; Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW; Wanneroo Library and Cultural Centre, WA; Newcastle Art Gallery, NSW; Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, NSW; Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW; Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art, SA; Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QLD; Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, QLD; ArtGeo Cultural Complex, WA; Broken Hill Regional Gallery, NSW; Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery; Wollongong Art Gallery, NSW; KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns; Art Gallery of Ballarat, VIC and Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, QLD.

Visit the Montages: The Full Cut 1999-2015 tour page

– Wanneroo Cultural Centre, Western Australia, Montages: The Full Cut 1999- 2015, 2017

‘It has brought a world class artist and exhibition to Blacktown, along with strong educational resources for schools. It enabled the team to develop relationships with a wider community, and to reimagine the main gallery space as a singular cinematic space or one which one body of artwork was presented. Thank you for an excellent service’ – Blacktown Arts Centre, NSW, Montages: The Full Cut 1999- 2015, 2018

‘The service allows an expansion of programming. Generally, the Gallery will take touring exhibitions it could not have curated or produced within its resources so the service is a crucial one for regional galleries. It also allowed the Gallery to consider local programming, bringing new ideas, artists and concepts to local audiences.’ – Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Montages: The Full Cut 1999- 2015, 2017

Montages: The Full Cut, 1999 – 2015 was curated and developed by Artspace, Sydney and is touring nationally in partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW

DAVID GRIGGS : BETWEEN NATURE & SIN

David Griggs explores the darker undercurrents of human existence. His work, predominately portraiture, focuses on the human condition; drawing on political imagery, underground media, local histories and personal experience. His work is often collaborative, engaging directly with communities while remaining sensitive to the ethical and moral obligations this demands. For the last 10 years Griggs has resided in the Philippines and has created a significant body of work traversing painting, photography and film that reveals the social hierarchies and underground culture of his adopted home.

Developed by Campbelltown Arts Centre, BETWEEN NATURE AND SIN brings together key works produced during this time and is the first major Australian survey of this leading artist’s practice. The exhibition will include the premiere of Griggs’ feature film, COWBOY COUNTRY.

From 2017 to 2019 this exhibition is travelling to: Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW; Glasshouse Regional Gallery, NSW; Northern Centre for Contemporary Art , NT; Redland Art Gallery, QLD; Cairns Art Gallery, QLD; Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW; Griffith Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Orange Regional Gallery, NSW; and Bunjil Place Gallery, VIC.

Visit the David Griggs : BETWEEN NATURE & SIN tour page

– Cairns Art Gallery, Queensland, David Griggs BETWEEN NATURE AND SIN, 2018

SOFT CORE

Soft Core features the artists, Tully Arnot, Brook Andrew, Mikala Dwyer, Tully Moore, Tony Oursler, Micheal Parekowhai, Patricia Piccinini, Todd Robinson, Koji Ryui, Kathy Temin, Louise Weaver, Simon Yates and Paul Yore. Ending in November of 2019, Soft Core has travelled to 12 locations, including (2016-2019): Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, NSW; Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, NSW; Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW; Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Cowra Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Shoalhaven Arts Centre, NSW; Shepparton Art Museum, VIC; Horsham Regional Art Gallery, VIC; Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW; Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QLD; Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, QLD; and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, QLD.

Visit the Soft Core tour page

– Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, NSW, Soft Core, 2018

‘The M&G NSW touring exhibition program affords us the opportunity to access creative programs of the highest creative and organisational calibre that the gallery would otherwise not have the resources to undertake. The artistic scope of the M&G NSW touring program allows us to develop and extend our own exhibition and public programs for our audiences to include artists, concepts and content that we would otherwise find challenging to develop ourselves.’ – Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW, Soft Core, 2018

‘The Soft Core touring exhibition enabled our audiences to view examples of significant works by Australian and International artists that they may not otherwise get access to, delivered through a playful curatorial premise. It also extended the profile of Australian artists shown previously at SAM, re-familiarising audiences with repeat encounters. The Education Kit was a practical inclusion that enabled us to attract schools, assisting teachers by providing learning materials and extending the exhibition through educational frameworks. Supplementary public programming activities furthered audience engagement, particularly with young people. The subsidized aspect of touring shows such as this is highly appreciated, allowing us to expand on a high calibre exhibition program and extend our limited resources further.’-Shepparton Art Museum, Victoria, Soft Core, 2018

An exhibition curated by Micheal Do, in conjunction with Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and toured by Museums & Galleries of NSW. This exhibition is supported by the Visions regional touring program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to cultural material for all Australians.