The best art exhibitions in Melbourne today

As Susan Sontag observed in On Photography, great images can act as memento mori, interrupting the flow of time by freezing moments that are otherwise fleeting. But the power to make – and be remembered for – such images has never been evenly distributed. For much of the twentieth century, women faced formidable barriers to working as photographers, their contributions often sidelined within the male-dominated field. Women Photographers 1900–1975: A Legacy of Light, a major new exhibition at the NGV, sets out to redress that imbalance – putting women back in the frame and revisiting the history of 20th-century photography. Running until May 3, 2026, the exhibit brings together more than 300 photographs, prints, photobooks and magazines by 80-plus artists, spanning portraiture, photojournalism, fashion, documentary and the avant-garde. From the suffrage movement through to the women’s liberation era, this period reveals how women used the camera to record, reflect on and challenge the world around them. Drawn entirely from the NGV Collection, the exhibition features more than 170 recently acquired works, with 130 on public view for the first time. Recognisable images sit alongside lesser-known ones, revealing the dense international networks that connected women photographers from Melbourne to Tokyo and Paris to Buenos Aires. Highlights include Dorothea Lange’s 'Migrant Mother' (1936), one of the defining images of the Great Depression; Lee Miller’s portrait of Man Ray in...

From Marilyn Monroe’s fringed black dress in Some Like It Hot to Elton John’s Louis XIV–inspired birthday suit (complete with the powdered wig and train), the diva has always known how to turn getting dressed into an art form. Enter Diva, the debut exhibition at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA). This is a glittering celebration of the artists who’ve shaped pop culture, music and fashion through imagination, talent – and, of course, by being a total diva. Charting the 19th-century opera goddesses and silent film stars to today’s global megastars, the exhibition will showcase the rise of the diva by going behind the sequins to reveal the cultural power and artistry of some of the world’s most captivating performers.  Presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), this Australian exclusive brings together more than 250 objects, including 60 spectacular costumes, jewellery, photography and handwritten lyrics spanning opera, pop, punk and Hollywood. Expect a red-carpet roll call of icons: Maria Callas, Grace Jones, Cher, Prince, Madonna, Elton John, Tina Turner, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Billie Eilish and more. Australia’s own legends get their time on the red carpet, too — from Dame Nellie Melba and Peter Allen to Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Jessica Mauboy and Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers. Discover exquisite garments by Bob Mackie, Vivienne Westwood, Maison Margiela, Valentino and Christian Dior,...

The Immigration Museum on Flinders Street is all about leaning into what makes us happy. Enter Joy, a vibrant, playful exhibition that will run through until February 7, 2026. Joy features seven brand new commissioned installations from leading Victorian-based creatives, each expressing the artists’ own personal joy. You can expect an emotive adventure where colour and storytelling combine, and big happy moments that sit alongside more reflective ones. Experience the vibrant power of joy as you walk amongst room-sized interactive artworks, or contribute your own joy with the collaborative ‘share your joy’ wall. Venezuelan-born Australian artist Nadia Hernández has filled the Immigration Museum’s hallway with bold collage works, ‘future positive’ fashion designer Nixi Killick has created a ‘joy generator’ and queer artist Spencer Harrison has created a runway where you can strut your stuff. Jazz Money, a Wiradjuri poet and artist, has fused sculpture, audio and mural for a work reflecting the history of the museum site, while local artist Beci Orpin has taken over a room with a giant toy rabbit made to be hugged. Afghanistan-Australian visual artist and poet Elyas Alavi and Sher Ali have also created a large-scale mural illustrating a Persian myth.  Lastly, much-loved pop artist and designer Callum Preston has constructed a full-scale replica of a nineties video store, a joy he never thought he would miss until he realised it was gone. Entry to Joy is included in the...