Tag Archives: ngv

August 30

Mother’s Museum

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I’m in a dream. I am the ghost of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, originally of Rhode Island. From 1874 till 1948, I lived as few ever will: the advantaged and indulged life of a filthy rich American socialite and philanthropist. You might not have heard of me, but you’re living in my legacy. You’ve most probably […]

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May 20

Art Words: Melbourne Art Book Fair

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Maxine told me on New Year’s Day that I need a new hobby. Other than art: “Look”, she said: “I like art too Mum, it’s just that I don’t feel like I need to talk about it allllll day.” Heeding the advice of the child and knowing she knows me better than I know myself, […]

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July 30

The Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great; NGV Melbourne Winter Masterpieces

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If you’re into titties, this is the Winter Masterpiece of the year for you! We got Flemish titties! Italian Master titties! Dutch titties and French titties and they’re just the old master paintings illustrating biblical scenes! The religious stories that see women falling out of their blouses, whilst all the men get to remain fully […]

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June 19

The Politics of Private Art Philanthropy

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Two of the options to pick up the shortfall as Australian Government funding for the arts ‘tapers off’ is private art philanthropy and Corporate sponsorship of the Arts. As more and more Australians struggle to pay their power bills, money has never before been more valuable. Let us consider the politics of private arts philanthropy. […]

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May 09

Melbourne Art Book Fair

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If you needed further proof that art loves nothing more than flogging a dead horse, the Melbourne Art Book Fair was a 3-day event of evidence. At a time of rapid decline in book sales and the closure of much loved local book stores the world over, a new mode of doing business with books […]

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April 20

A Golden Age of China: I dream therefore I am

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I’m in a dream. The Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796) is there. He’s an art connoisseur and the longest living Emperor in Chinese history. During his reign, China became the wealthiest and most populous nation in the world. We’re at his place, the Forbidden Palace. There’s a queasy feeling in my belly, excited but nervous. The feeling […]

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March 14

Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car; NGV

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The difference between art and design is that with design, it’s generally easier to test if it’s any good and there’s a purpose that can be evaluated. The difference between art and (propositional) architecture is whether or not Callum did it. If Callum did it then it’s art. Art, design and architecture are presently cannibalizing […]

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November 30

Emily Floyd: The Dawn

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I sit on Emily Floyd’s new public art commission at the NGV, The Dawn. The work is named after The Dawn: A Journal for Australian Women, which was edited and published by feminist Louisa Lawson from 1888 to 1905. Emily’s The Dawn is part sculpture, part library, and about ‘Feminism, activism, the printed word, open […]

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November 16

Alex Prager and David Shrigley Media Call

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I’m too lazy to work at the NGV. They’re going so hard, you get dizzy trying to keep up with all the new shows opening and closing. Last week it was the Instrument Builders Project, this week Alex Prager and David Shrigley and next week it’s Emily Floyd. All that on top of the monolith […]

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November 05

The Instrument Builders Project

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If the Arts were funded nearly as well as Australia’s Defence Signals Directorate, we wouldn’t be getting ourselves into Diplomatic shizzle like we did in 2013, when Edward Snowden leaked that Australia had been behaving very badly indeed. Sadly, Australia (not yours and mine, some other secret sneaky arsehole’s version) was spying on our  neighbour […]

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