The best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month

French Impressionism is host to arguably some of the most famous (and most loved) artists of all time. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas are just some of the artists who achieved such acclaim that they remain household names even a century after their deaths. And this winter, you can see some of the artist's most beautiful and well-known works right here in Melbourne at the NGV's new exhibition, French Impressionism: From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Until October 5, the NGV will host more than 100 works by artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne and Mary Cassatt – including pieces never before seen in Australia.

The Potter Museum of Art has reopened to the public with a spectacular new exhibition recognising the great wealth of culture in this place: 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art. Celebrating the remarkable diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creativity, the exhibition showcases more than 400 artworks from the likes of Destiny Deacon, Yhonnie Scarce, Albert Namatjira and Emily Kam Kngwarray, including rare cultural works. Curated by Professor Marcia Langton AO, senior curator Judith Ryan and associate curator Shanysa McConville in consultation with Elders, 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art directly addresses the scars of colonial invasion. 

If your budget can’t quite stretch as far as a trip to Japan right now, then the next best thing is winding your way towards St Kilda Road’s NGV International instead. Dazzling exhibition Kimono, on display until October 5, showcases the extraordinary range of the once-humble outfit. There are 70 beautiful examples on show, including seven newly acquired silk and ramie kimono, once belonging to samurai and merchant families, that date back to the Edo period (1603-1867). You’ll be able to learn about the layers of meaning stitched into recurring motifs like the eternal crane, who flocks amongst the gods, as well as weeping wisteria and gently falling snow detailed in the shibori tie-die technique. 

Traversing time and space, Wurrdha Marra is an ongoing exhibition celebrating the diversity of First Nations art and design. Since late 2023, the ground floor and foyer of the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia has become home to a dynamic and ever-changing exhibition space that displays masterpieces and never-before-shown works from the NGV’s First Nations collection.

As you enter the tranquil space of the museum’s living Forest Gallery, you’ll encounter portraits of Elders and community members of the Eastern Kulin Nations. Use your phone to listen to their stories, detailing their unique and personal relationships to Country.  

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. 

Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s Hidden: Seven Children Saved exhibition is focused on educating Melburnians on the Holocaust experiences of seven (now-local) children, to inspire greater understanding of these vital lessons. Interactive displays show visitors what it would have been like for a child to hide in such a volatile time, and how acts of kindness from the community made all the difference. Replica rooms, mini towns, soundscapes, moving images and projections make it an interesting and educational display for families (with kids ten years plus) to visit during the school holidays.