Melbourne is well known as the Arts Capital, and if Melbourne Now’s wide selection of art is somewhat of a buffet, here is what I would call a degustation…
Melbourne is well known as the Arts Capital of Australia (or at least this is the absolute truth for every Melbournian) and one visit to the very vibrant capital of Victoria would validate this claim. It’s an incredible experience to take a full-on dive in the diverse culture of this city and witness firsthand the excellent artistry bursting from this place. However for most of us, time is a luxury, and this may prove to be a mission considering how massive the CBD alone is.
Fortunately, the people from The Ian Potter Centre and a team of guest curators took on this ambitious project of collating works of artists of all mediums and creative practitioners and this collaboration birthed the incredible exhibition that is MELBOURNE NOW.
Melbourne Now, in a nutshell, is a celebration of the latest art, architecture, design, performance and cultural practice to reflect the complex creative landscape of Melbourne. From paintings to photographs, wall-to-wall installations, exhibits within exhibits, interactive art and light shows, audible art and more importantly fashion (that last comment might just be a bit biased) – name the kind of art you fancy, I’m pretty sure Melbourne Now is featuring it. With more than 175 artworks showcased in both Ian Potter Centres (NGV Australia and NGV International), there’s definitely something to appeal to all tastes.
So if Melbourne Now’s wide selection of art is somewhat of a buffet, here is what I would call a degustation.
Before you even enter NGV Australia, an installation piece will already welcome you right outside. Sneaky selfie anyone?
Below: Who doesn’t love a good pattern, right? From a distance, it’s just colourful shapes on a white wall…
…but up close, the shapes are actually made out of product labels and prices. Ingenious.
Below: Melbourne is one giant melting pot of nations. Here’s some, if not most, of the ethnicities residing in Melbourne represented in an unusual manner – PORCELAIN DOLLS.
What an odd combination, don’t you think? But that floral print is just divine.
Don’t throw away your post-it notes of randomness. Put them together and you might just create art.
Below: Here’s a tandem artwork of a man and nature. Started with a blank rolled up sheet, the artist requires the help of wind to make this pencil go. With that amount of scribbles, I’d say Melbourne sure did have a lot of windy days.
Below: For every sweet tooth, here’s a collection you would truly enjoy. House scenes made out of fondant?! From the remotes to the pillows, and that wallpaper! Definitely one of the must-sees from the entire exhibit.
Below: Dance parties are more than welcomed in this room that’s all about lights and sounds.
And for my absolute favourite thing from the entire exhibit:
…this "work-in-progress" piece of Juan Ford called "You, Me and the Flock" encourages on lookers to add stickers of birds on to the wall to make one massive artwork.
Phew! That’s one swift rundown of this must-see exhibit. If you happen to be in the glorious city of Melbourne, Australia, make sure you pop down to NGV Australia and NGV International and catch Melbourne Now until the 23rd of March. There’s a lot of other things happening too apart from the exhibition so make sure you’re in the loop by checking out their website social media.
Words and photos, Diane Pantoja
8 February 2014
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