'Snapshot of limitless creativity': Melbourne Now exhibition showcases works of over 200 Victorian artists

The Melbourne Now 2023 exhibition marks the 10th anniversary of a large-scale exhibition that highlights the diverse talents of Victorian artists and designers including Indian-born Australian artist Anu Kumar.

Part playground and part photobooth, James Lemon introduces his participatory work 'Swarming' at the launch of Melbourne Now, NGV. Credit: SBS Hindi

The work of more than 200 Victorian-based artists, designers, studios and firms is on display at The Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) this month as part of the Melbourne Now 2023 exhibition. This marks the 10th anniversary of the inaugural presentation in 2013.

The large-scale exhibition highlights a diverse range of contemporary disciplines across fashion, jewellery, painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, video, virtual reality, performance, photography, printmaking, product design and publishing.

Anu Kumar is a photographic artist featured in the exhibition. Ms Kumar says she interrogates themes of displacement and the diaspora; using her practice to understand her identity as a woman born in India and raised in Australia.

Ms Kumar said: "Through my work, I love to elevate the small but significant everyday moments that feel commonplace in an Indian household."

"Having them displayed so prominently in an institution as great as the NGV gives me a real sense of pride."

She says it excites her to think of the thousands of people who will come through the doors of the Ian Potter centre.

Hopefully, many from the Indian community will recognise the tenderness and familial gestures that run through my work.

Anu Kumar, photographic artist

Installation view of Anu Kumar’s series Nagar 2022 on display as part of the Melbourne Now exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne from 24 March – 20 August 2023. Credit: Sean Fennessy

According to Tony Ellwood AM, Director of NGV, the free exhibition is a 'blockbuster' that offers an exciting and thought-provoking snapshot of the limitless creativity empowering Melbourne city and its surrounds.

During the media launch just before the opening, Mr Ellwood highlighted the scope and scale of the exhibits including more than 60 world-premiere works commissioned by the NGV from Victorian artists both established and emerging,

Fashion Now highlights the work of 18 local designers including J'Aton, Ngali, Chris Ran Lin, Arnsdorf, Blair Archibald, Nixi Killick, Erik Yvon, Strateas Carlucci and Verner. Credit: SBS Hindi.

Steve Dimopoulos MP, Minister for Creative Industries who was present at the launch, said the exhibition was a celebration of Victoria's creative industries.

"It's (Melbourne Now exhibition) fun, it's colourful, it's bold and very very Victorian," Mr Dimopoulos said.

"We (Melbourne) cannot say we are the cultural capital of the country or one of the cultural capitals of the world if we don't make space for our own creatives and we don't make great art ourselves. Happily for us we do, as much of it is on display at this brilliant exhibition," he said thanking the various artists on behalf of the Victorian Government

A room-sized ‘temple’ constructed from thousands of computer fans by emerging Vietnamese artist Rel Pham. Credit: SBS Hindi

The exhibits include a room-sized, neon-lit ‘temple’ constructed from thousands of computer fans by emerging Vietnamese artist, Rel Pham, Troy Emery’s large soft-sculptural mountain climber and a mass of inflatable walking frames by Lou Hubbard.

Troy Emery’s soft sculptural style, Mountain Climber standing over three metres high. Credit: SBS Hindi

A large-scale wall installation displays consumer products designed in Melbourne by brands like Globe International, Robert Gordon Pottery and Tontine. Besides the skateboards, guitars, ladders, pillows, luggage and outdoor gear are humidifiers, and even a Savic C-Series motorbike.

A design wall featuring a large-scale installation of consumer products designed in Melbourne including this C-Series Savic at the Melbourne Now exhibition, NGV. Credit: SBS Hindi

In the interactive displays, visitors are invited to fall in love with Gee, an AI chatbot, created by Georgia Banks, or contemplate the universes both within and beyond the body through a participatory extended (XR) experience with Shaun Gladwell’s 'Passing Electrical Storms'.

'Gee' is an AI chatbot developed by Georgia Banks using data from the questionnaires she completed during the process of applying for several popular Australian reality TV dating shows. Credit: SBS Hindi

Besides contemporary Australian and First Nations art collections, there are artworks that explore social, political and cultural issues. For example, Elvis Richardson's powder pink gates wrought with the most commonly used synonyms of the word ‘settlement’ reflect the question: 'Who are the gatekeepers?'

Digital print by South Sudanese-born Australian artist, Atong Atem, at the Melbourne Now exhibition NGV. Credit SBS Hindi

Melbourne Now is on display from 24 March to 20 August 2023 and entry is free.

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