The inaugural Melbourne Now launched in 2013 and was an unprecedented display of some of the most exciting local contemporary artists. Now, a decade later, it returns to once again highlight Victorian-based artists, designers, studios and firms whose practices are shaping the cultural landscape of our city.
Opening on March 23 at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, the exhibition will feature highly ambitious and thought-provoking works, including 70 world-premiere pieces that have been specially commissioned by the NGV. The works will traverse various disciplines across fashion, jewellery, sculpture, ceramics, photography, printmaking, product design and painting.
Highlights include a room-sized ‘temple’ constructed using thousands of computer fans by emerging artist Rel Pham, which draws on his Vietnamese heritage and interest in gaming culture, and Walkers with Dinosaurs by Lou Hubbard, a mass of inflatable walking frames that can be found tumbling out of the third-floor foyer of the gallery. Troy Emery will present his largest sculptural work to date: a textile-based feline figure covered in brightly coloured pom poms that stands more than three metres high.
Also featuring on the stacked artist line-up are the likes of Christian Thompson AO, Esther Stewart, Atong Atem, Mia Boe, Fiona Abicare and Lisa Reid.
The insanely popular Design Wall will return with an installation that celebrates consumer products designed in Melbourne over the past decade (think guitars, pillows, luggage and motorbikes), while Fashion Now spotlights the work of 18 local designers and explores how fashion is embedded in a city’s identity.
“The 2023 exhibition marks the ten-year anniversary of the inaugural presentation and offers an unprecedented opportunity to reflect on how Melbourne and Victoria have transformed, changed and grown over the past decade,” said Tony Ellwood AM, director of the NGV.
“No other exhibition series reflects Victorian life and culture with such depth, nuance and breadth. We are excited to build upon this incredible legacy with this new, blockbuster presentation of Victorian creativity in 2023.”
For more information on the exhibition, head to the NGV website.
