The National Gallery of Victoria has announced the second edition of the landmark, city-wide exhibition, Melbourne NOW, which will be centred at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia in 2023. The exhibition will mark the ten-year anniversary of the inaugural 2013 exhibition which was a bold and unprecedented survey of some of the most exciting local contemporary practitioners. Melbourne NOW will again highlight the latest art, architecture, design and cultural practice shaping the cultural landscape of Melbourne.
The NGV will dedicate an initial $1.5 million commitment to acquire, commission and present new works by local Victorian artists, designers and architects. In a timely announcement, new works by Victorian artists will begin to be actively acquired and commissioned beginning this year and will continue for the next three years, where the works will be premiered as part of the 2023 exhibition.
‘The NGV is delighted to be able to support our local creative community with the second iteration of Melbourne NOW. We know new and significant works will be created by Victorian artists and designers for this exhibition, which will celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our creative sector,’ said Tony Ellwood AM, Director, National Gallery of Victoria.
“Embraced by Victorians and visitors alike, the original 2013 Melbourne NOW exhibition was a landmark presentation of the most exciting art and design being made in one of the world’s most creative cities. Ten years on, Melbourne NOW 2023 is set to be an equally momentous event, while playing an important role in the post-COVID recovery of our creative sector. Although we’ll need to wait a while to see the exhibition, the NGV will start investing in the work and careers of local artists now – when they need it most,” Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley.
Celebrating new and ambitious local art and design, Melbourne Now will cross a range of contemporary disciplines including fashion and jewellery, painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, video, performance, printmaking and publishing. The exhibition will also mark the second edition of the hugely popular ‘Design Wall’ showcasing work by dozens of the city’s most innovative design practitioners, as well as popular NGV Kids interactive projects.
Bold in scale, Melbourne Now will be displayed throughout all levels of The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, including permanent collection galleries, showcasing new works and commissions by emerging, mid-career and senior practitioners as well as local collectives, many presenting for the first time in Australia’s most visited art gallery.
At the heart of Melbourne Now will be a collaborative approach to the celebration of Melbourne’s artists and designers, working closely with a range of community, cultural and educational partners.
In 2013, the first edition of Melbourne Now delivered a history-making exhibition at the NGV that surveyed the enormous breath of artistic talent in the local community. Marking the first time the NGV exhibited designers alongside visual artists, the exhibition was an overwhelmingly inclusive experience offering free entry to NGV visitors.
Ten years later, the next edition of Melbourne Now will again offer free entry to NGV audiences and be complemented by an extensive public program and an exhibition catalogue providing further insights into unique aspects of the exhibition.
Melbourne Now will take place in early 2023 at NGV Australia with further information to be announced soon.
![OUR FIRST ALL-AUSTRALIAN ANNOUNCEMENT TASH SULTANA ZIGGY ALBERTS KEV CARMODY IAN MOSS HIATUS KAIYOTE RUSSELL MORRIS BRIGGS KIM CHURCHILL MAMA KIN SPENDER ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS And many more to be announced! Get your tickets on-sale now 2021 Bluesfest can’t wait until next Easter on April 1 – 5th at the beautiful green Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm located 10 minutes north of Byron Bay. Bluesfest continues to make history with its second Artist Announcement for 2021 - It is the festival’s first ever All Australian announcement and it’s something to sing about. Adding to the already impressive line up are some of Australia’s greatest artists including TASH SULTANA and ZIGGY ALBERTS, who are both playing on Easter Saturday, as well as National Treasure, KEV CARMODY to name a few. Bluesfest will be Tash Sultana’s only East Coast festival play, and will bring in the new band, "I've got to a point where the music I've written is beyond the capabilities of looping so I've decided to get a backing band to play the written parts live and I’m looking forward to performing them at Bluesfest next Easter.” says Tash Sultana. Ziggy Alberts will be playing all new material he has been creating in lockdown. “Stoked to be back at Bluesfest 2021! I love this festival and we had such a great time back in 2018. I’m looking forward to coming out strong after some time away from touring. See ya'll there!” says Ziggy Alberts. Kev Carmody will show why he is regarded as a National Treasure. His new album, ‘Cannot Buy My Soul’ features guest appearances by Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, John Butler, The Waifs, Tex Perkins, Troy Cassar-Daley and lots more -this could be one hell of a jam!! When Blues legends RUSSELL MORRIS and IAN MOSS take to the stage the Bluesfest crowd will roar. IAN MOSS, best known as a founding member of Cold Chisel and now widely regarded as one of the best Blues guitarists in Australia, is scheduled to perform directly before Jimmy Barnes on Easter Sunday. “We are going to tear the place apart. They’ll be a lot of great Australian bands and artists hitting those stages.” says Jimmy Barnes Rock veteran and the original “real thing” RUSSELL MORRIS spectacularly re-launched his career when he released his Blues trilogy; which features the Platinum selling ‘Shark Mouth’, the ARIA nominated ‘Van Diemen’s Land’ and the ARIA Award winner ‘Red Dirt – Red Heart’ [2012-2018]. Russell will play tracks from his latest album ‘Black and Blue Heart’ and this is one Blues banga of a show that is sure to be packed out. Yorta Yorta man BRIGGS is the most powerful rapper in the country, HIATUS KAIYOTE is selling out 2000 seater venues and KIM CHURCHILL not only a current triple j favourite, he is also the most successful Bluesfest Busking competition winner who has now gone on to achieve national recognition, a record label and is touring nationally. Add MAMA KIN SPENDER and ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS and the line-up is unquestionably a “top-shelf’ reflection of Australia’s best. Commenting on the announcement Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM says “There’s a number of all Australian line up announcements to come that includes ‘real’ headliners, Indigenous artists and Blues n Roots artists. We are setting ourselves up to put on another great Bluesfest albeit in a brand new way. There will be challenges, and we expect to be presenting a festival with a lower capacity and potentially outdoors in order to have a safe event. It is sad for us to see that a number of festivals will not go ahead. However, we are working with Government to present a safe event and be part of the return of ‘live’ music in this country. Whilst it is disheartening to hear that Woodford and Port Fairy Folk Festivals feel that the challenge of presenting is something they don’t want to take on right now, and which is totally understandable, it doesn’t mean that events cannot return, and I believe it is important for Bluesfest to be a part of that return and to help lead the way.” Bluesfest is in regular communications with Government regarding the Bluesfest COVID-19 Safety Plan that has been lodged. Bluesfest look forward to updating everyone very soon with more information regarding their Safety Plan for a COVID-19 safe Bluesfest experience. This is the first ANNOUNCEMENT OF MAJOR all Australian artists with more to come from Bluesfest. All ticket types and Add-Ons are on-sale now. For further information on the line-up or artists please see here. Bluesfest 2021 is being held from 1 – 5 April 2021. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix. Keep in touch via Facebook | Twitter | Instagram](https://controls.islaoceana.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/bluefest.jpg "bluefest")
