Art is a powerful communication tool for questioning and challenging past, present and future societal norms. Like a megaphone, an experimental tool, it takes on various attributes depending on the needs and perspective of the contemporary artist. The NGV 2023 Triennial is an artistic event of global scope, bringing together the work of a wide selection of artists in equally disparate media, with a common goal: to offer a 360° vision of today’s world, and to rethink it as we see fit through artistic creativity and innovation.
Every three years, the NGV Triennale offers an impressive concentration of artistic works. Designers, artists, architects and collectives at the forefront of global contemporary innovation are invited to take part in this ground-breaking international art event, sharing their perspectives on today’s society with visitors and soliciting their opinions on its future. Until April 7, 2024, take part in an immersive dialogue between contemporary art, design and architecture at the National Gallery of Victoria. An exclusive experience that updates and re-imagines the world through the complex and inspiring prism of international contemporary art.
With 100 creative players and over 75 innovative and breathtaking projects, the works of the NGV 2023 Triennale occupy all four levels of NGV International for an expansive presentation of creations. The works and projects presented for this edition of the triennial are in line with three key themes: Magic, Matter and Memory.
Magic explores belief systems, symbolism and allegory, focusing on the influence of human spirituality on the world. Matter brings together manufacturing techniques, materials and nature, focusing on the relevance of these elements in the composition of human culture. And Memory recalls the specific narratives of places, objects or subjects that together form the complex tapestry of the contemporary world.
From robotics to tapestry, from weather to war, from mysticism to megacities, visitors are overwhelmed by an impressive stream of achievements. Contemporary actors from a wide variety of countries give their all, dazzling audiences with their creativity, aesthetics and the depth of the works presented.
Artists include Sheila Hicks (USA), Tracey Emin (UK), Petrit Halilaj (Kosovo), Betty Muffler (Australia), Yoko Ono (Japan), David Shrigley (UK), Schiaparelli (France), Agnieszka Pilat (Poland), Hoda Afshar (Iran), Thomas J Price (UK), Fernando Laposse (Mexico), Derek Fordjour (USA), Azuma Makoto (Japan), Flora Yukhnovich (UK), Yee I-Lann (Malaysia), Farrokh Mahdavi (Iran), Heather B Swann (Australia), Hugh Hayden (USA), Joyce Ho (Taiwan), Joël Andrianomearisoa (Madagascar) Shakuntala Kulkarni (India), SMACK (Netherlands), Yinka Shonibare (UK), Tao Hui (China), Diedrick Brackens (USA) and many others took part in this extraordinary unveiling of contemporary works.
Sculpture, installation, fashion, multimedia textiles, film, performance, music, design, photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving and many other artistic media fill the space at the National Gallery of Victoria. For the NGV 2023 Triennial, Thomas J Price occupies the entrance to the gallery’s floor space with his three-metre-high sculptures. They depict a girl texting and, a short distance away, a boy standing with his hands in his pockets. These black sculptures in everyday postures reflect the lack of representation of people of color in public statuary in the UK and the hyper-connected new generation.
On the lower level, the French fashion house Schiaparelli also dazzles visitors with its incredible collection of models. In an unprecedented creative process, integrating collage, drawing, digital technology and the artistic creativity of the couture atelier, a project emerges in phase with contemporary trends, immersing the public in a chic, elegant atmosphere at the cutting edge of artistic fashion.
On floor 1, Yee I-Lann illuminates the space with his textile works. Working in partnership with communities in the Malaysian state of Sabah, in northern Borneo, he creates tikar – symbolic woven mats that bear witness to the craftsmanship and innovation of the artist and the weaving people.
Richard Lewer‘s immersive and profound paintings transform the atmosphere within the art space. His series of canvases refer to the myths of Adam and Eve at the heart of the Abrahamic religions. An inspiring approach that has already borne fruit as a source of inspiration for artists throughout the history of Western art.
Yinka Shonibara is also at the forefront of the contemporary scene, with his sculptures occupying Level 2 of the National Gallery of Victoria.
A world-renowned artist, he takes part in the NGV 2023 Triennial by unveiling a shimmering sphinx sculpture made of batik, whose artistic expression explores the complex relationship between African aesthetics and Western modernist expression, juxtaposing classical sculpture from European antiquity with African objects from the collection of Pablo Picasso.
This floor of the gallery is also occupied by the famous art-historical graphic Cubism and Abstract Art reinvented by conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas. A precious visual narrative linked to Africa and cultural movements that interweaves art and history from 1870 to 1970.
Level 3 is home to the NGV 2023 Triennial’s Megacities project, a large-scale presentation in which ten leading street photographers collaborate to capture the urban environment of ten global megacities with populations of over 10 million: Cairo, Dhaka, Jakarta, Delhi, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Seoul, Lagos, Tokyo and Mexico City.
Nigerian artist Yagazie Emezi is taking part in this ambitious project. A self-taught photojournalist, she takes the Australian public on a journey through the city of Lagos. An opportunity for visitors to explore the great Nigerian metropolis through her photographic medium. The same goes for the artist Hana Gamal, who offers nostalgic photographs of her native Cairo.
Until April 07, 2024, the NGV Triennial 2023 offers a captivating panorama of contemporary art, highlighting the diversity of artistic practices and the wealth of aesthetic and conceptual thinking explored by participating artists. Through the diversity and depth of the works on display, this event proves to be an unforgettable artistic experience, inviting the public to rethink the world around them through the prism of creativity. The NGV 2023 Triennial is undoubtedly a must-attend event on the international art scene for art lovers in search of inspiration and stimulating artistic discoveries.
