Melbourne Exhibitions

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International)

Established in 1861, this is the oldest and largest public gallery in Australia. Located in the Melbourne Arts Precinct in Southbank at 180 St. Kilda Road, it is a short walk from the CBD and Flinders Street Station.

Normal opening hours are from 10am – 5pm, and is closed on Tuesdays. General admission is free.

NGV International's website can be accessed here.

Temporary exhibitions are listed below.

Building a Collection

This exhibition presents highlights from the more than 1000 pieces of work that has made it into the Prints and Drawings collection since 2002. The collection includes both Australian and international pieces of work on paper produced over a period of seven hundred years, from the 15th to 21st centuries.

On display 21 August – 31 January. Free entry.

Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen

Charting women's fashion through the 1770s to 1830, this exhibition displays the changing designs and fabrics used during this period.

On display 22 May – 8 November. Free entry.

Bill Viola: Ocean Without a Shore

A leading international practitioner of video art, Bill Viola presents a piece of art work concerned with the space between life and death.

Now on display. Free entry.

The Ian Potter Centre (NGV Australia)

Opened by the National Gallery of Victoria in 2003 as part of Federation Square opposite Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, The Ian Potter Centre houses all of the Australian art that is part of the Gallery's collection.

Normal opening hours are 10am – 5pm, and is closed on Mondays. General admission is free.

NGV Australia's website can be accessed here.

Temporary exhibitions are listed below.

Together Alone

Drawing on 12 years of work from eight leading Australian and New Zealand fashion designers, this exhibition highlights their shared cultural history and diverse approaches to design. The featured artists are Akira Isogawa, Toni Maticevski, MaterialByProduct, Romance Was Born, Doris de Pont, World, Nom*D and Zambesi. Over 40 works are included.

On display 1 October – 18 April. Free entry.

Long Distance Vision: Three Australian Photographers

The images of three Australian photographers are displayed in an exhibition that examines the role of photography recording both new and familiar images of everyday life from the viewpoint of a tourist in a foreign land.

On display 28 August – 21 February. Free entry.

2009 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award

National and multi-generational in scope, the Award celebrates the achievements of a number of distinguished Australian artists who have produced a diverse range of contemporary art works.

On display 17 September – 7 February. Free entry.

Melbourne Museum

Offering a large number of permanent galleries that explore both past and present life in Victoria, Melbourne Museum can be found on Nicholson Street in Carlton, just north of Melbourne's CBD and opposite the Royal Exhibition Building.

Normal opening hours are 10am – 5pm. Entry costs $8 for adults and is free for children and concession card holders.

Melbourne Museum's website can be accessed here.

Temporary exhibitions are listed below.

A Day in Pompeii

The town of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash as a result of the eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. This exhibition displays over 250 objects retrieved from the town that provide a glimpse of daily life. Casts of the people and animals who lost their lives in the eruptions are also on show, while a 3D theatre experience provides a recreation of these deadly eruptions. A series of sculptures, mosaics and frescoes allow further immersion in the lifestyles of the people of Pompeii at the time of its destruction.

On display 26 June – 25 October. Paid entry.

This exhibition is also open until 9pm on Thursdays and until 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays in addition to the usual opening hours.

Scienceworks

Located five kilometres from Melbourne's CBD, this museum focuses on educating visitors about science and technology through interactive displays, demonstrations and activities. Melbourne Planetarium is also located at Scienceworks, providing digital simulations of outer space.

Normal opening hours are 10am – 4:30pm. Entry costs $8 for adults and is free for children and concession card holders, extra for access to Melbourne Planetarium.

Scienceworks' website can be accessed here.

Temporary exhibitions are listed below.

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

Featuring more than 80 costumes, models and props from all six Stars Wars films, this exhibition seeks to explore the possibilities of using modern technology to make the ideas behind the science fiction possible.

On display until 3 November. Paid entry.

This exhibition is also open until 9pm on Thursdays in addition to the usual opening hours.

Mathamizing

This exhibition uses interactive displays to explore how mathematics is used in everyday life.

On display until 6 December. Free entry.

The Immigration Museum

Housed in the Old Customs House on Flinders St in Melbourne's CBD, this museum displays the stories of those who have immigrated to Victoria through different visual and auditory media.

Normal opening hours are 10am – 5pm. Entry costs $8 for adults and is free for children and concession card holders.

The Immigration Museum's website can be accessed here.

Temporary exhibitions are listed below.

Handing on the Key: Palestinians in Australia

Exploring how one generation of Palestinians must pass on memories of their homeland to the next in order to sustain a shared sense of nationhood, this exhibition examines contemporary identities of the Palestinian community in Australia.

On display 21 August – 22 November. Free entry.

Ancient Hampi: The Hindu Kingdom Brought to Life

This exhibition uses leading edge digital technology to bring to life the World Heritage site of Hampi in Southern India via 3D panoramas and stunning photography.

On display until 26 January. Free entry.

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