The $30,000 Dobell Drawing Prize has a rich history of celebrating some of Australia’s most renowned artists, and you don’t have to hand over a cent to head down to the gorgeous gallery inside the sandstone walls of the National Art School to check out all of this year’s finalists.
Rain or shine, Sydney’s best art galleries and top museums contain treasure troves of inspiration just waiting to be discovered.
Our favourite exhibition of the summer, the surreal, cyber-futuristic world of Cao Fei: My City is Yours, sadly closes on April 13. But if you like the sound of that, then you absolutely do not want to miss XSWL at White Rabbit Gallery (closes May 18). Taking its name from the Chinese internet slang term for “laughing to death”, this exhibition features four floors of wild contemporary art where silly, harmless fun and jokes are deployed to bypass taboos and tackle politically sensitive topics.
While the Art Gallery of NSW gets warmed up for its next suite of major exhibitions, there are still plenty of strange and wonderful things to see there. For example, you only have a limited time left to head down into The Tank and allow the rich visual and sonic experience of Angelica Mesiti: The Rites of When to wash over you.
Qtopia Sydney also recently unveiled a handful of colourful new exhibitions that dive into LGBTQIA+ culture, including an exploration of a certain Aussie pop star’s deep bond with her LGBTQ+ fanbase in Kylie Minogue & Queer Devotion as well as a fabulous showcase of painstakingly crafted costumes from past Sydney Mardi Gras Parades in BE:DAZZLED Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Costume Extravaganza.
Are you prepared to head outside of the city for an experience where art and nature come together? Down by the bend of the Shoalhaven River, Bundanon's new exhibition features talking mushrooms and dancing horses.
Better yet, all of the above is just the tip of the iceberg. Read on for the coolest exhibitions to have a gander at.
