In the Galleries: 12 Art Exhibitions To See in Melbourne in Autumn

Julius von Bismarck: This is not the storm at ACCA

He’s made slow-motion films in hurricanes and wildfires. He’s taken a whip to ocean waves and monuments around the world. He almost died for his art, once at sea and another time when lightning hit his car. German artist Julius von Bismarck likes to play with awe and terror in how we perceive the natural world (and whether or not that word “nature” is even appropriate for our shared environment). This ACCA exhibition – his first major Australian solo show – charts two decades of his art, from photography and video works to kinetic sculptures.

From April 17 to June 17. Free.

Kate Tucker Fragment, Unknown at Daine Singer

Kate Tucker’s artworks contain multitudes. The Melbourne-based Archibald finalist’s paintings are like sculptures – sometimes mounted on tiles or bricks and arranged like patchworked fabric. And her intricate and distinct steel and clay sculptures are like paintings – with layers of pastel paint reminiscent of cake frosting. Her latest solo exhibition is inspired by tiny fragments of historical glassware she saw at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Until April 18. Free.

A velvet ant, a flower and a bird at the Potter Museum of Art

Ants, flowers and birds are pretty smart, says the University of Melbourne. That’s why they’re named in the title of this exhibition, featuring works from the institution’s classics, biology and art collections, alongside new commissions. See work from Naomi Hobson, who won the Work on Paper Award at the 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. There are also pieces from a mix of major international figures, such as Salvador Dalí and Joan Jones, as well as influential Australian names like Inge King, David Noonan, Taloi Havini and Brent Harris. Each object or artwork sparks a conversation about what it means to be intelligent, and how that trait is not unique to humans.

Until June 6. Free.

Future Country at NGV

Last year, Country Road teamed up with the NGV for Future Country, a national mentorship program pairing eight emerging First Nations artists with established names. Now in its second year, mentors include celebrated glass artist Yhonnie Scarce, alongside other leading contemporary artists Karla Dickens, Megan Cope and Brook Andrew. The initiative is all about sharing knowledge and creating artistic and professional growth. In this exhibition, you’ll see photography, sculpture and textile artworks from a new wave of First Nations talent.

Until September 13. Free.

The Offbeat Sari at Bunjil Place

A symbol of identity, resistance, pride and style, the sari is both an everyday outfit and a recurring inspiration for contemporary fashion designers. This exhibition – which first showed at London’s Design Museum in 2023 – brings together 54 contemporary saris, tracing the evolution and significance of the traditional Indian garment. There are designs from trailblazing Indian designers such as Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani and Raw Mango, showcasing experiments with different materials, like denim and foil jersey. See the first sari worn to the Met Gala and another worn by Lady Gaga in 2010. 

Until August 30. Free.

John Perceval: All That We Are at Heide

Here’s a rare chance to know one of Australia’s most respected artists a little better in this career-spanning survey of John Perceval’s work. A painter who helped shape Australian modernism, Perceval was a key figure in the Heide Circle, an influential group of Australian creatives associated with patrons John and Sunday Reed. Featuring around 100 works from public and private collections, the exhibition includes 28 of Perceval’s playful and mischievous angel sculptures from the 1950s and ’60s. You’ll also find Railway by Night (The State Theatre), painted during the Second World War when Melbourne’s nightlife was transformed by the arrival of US troops.

Until July 21. $17–$27.

TarraWarra International 2026: System Release

The world feels chaotic right now, which is one of the starting points for the 10 artists featured in this major exhibition at destination gallery TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville. It’s the first time the gallery has hosted its International Art Series since 2019.

Aboriginal and ni-Vanautu artist Daniel Boyd – one of Australia’s leading contemporary painters – creates a perforated window vinyl, literally and symbolically disrupting perception. Megan Cope uses oyster shells in her sculptural installations to refer to the middens of Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island. And Mexican artist José Dávila presents a major new sculpture.

Until July 5. $12–$18.

MOTHER: Stories from the NGV Collection

There’s an ornate ceramic vessel in the NGV’s MOTHER display. It’s a very fancy baby bottle from 18th-century England – one of 200 works connected to motherhood drawn from the gallery’s collection. The show explores loss, trauma, religious iconography and storytelling between a mother and child. There’s David Hockney’s collage of his aging mother, a bronze sculpture by Tracey Emin, and pieces from some of Australia’s foremost artists, including Patricia Piccinini’s Nest motorbike sculpture.

Until July 12. Free.

Hany Armanious: Stone Soup at Buxton Contemporary

A peeled orange, a lump of Blu Tack, a crumpled water bottle: this is not rubbish. In Hany Armanious’s show Stone Soup, the acclaimed Egyptian Australian artist brings a renewed focus to the things we often discard. Meticulously re-created in resin, these hyperreal sculptures prompt a pause, inviting viewers to reconsider the value of the ordinary.

Until April 11. Free.

Kate Wallace Between Trees at Lon Gallery

Often working with oil on miniature canvases, Kate Wallace invites viewers to step closer to see into her intricate, atmospheric paintings. The Melbourne-based artist likes to explore things she remembers, sometimes informed by photos she’s taken in serene moments or when she’s travelling, such as the view from an aeroplane window or peering inside a fish tank. Wallace plays with blurring the image, nodding to limitations of memory. She’ll present new works in this solo exhibition at Lon Gallery.

From April 29 to May 23. Free.

Order Up: A City Fed by Many Cultures at the Immigration Museum

You’ve heard it a thousand times: Melbourne is Australia’s food capital. Now the Immigration Museum is pulling back the curtain on the people, places and history that have earnt the city this title. With two immersive videos and a collection of dockets from 33 of Melbourne’s most iconic eateries, the exhibition delves into the stories, codes and cultural influences behind the kitchens that define the city’s dining scene.

Until April 5. $15.

Westwood | Kawakubo at the NGV

Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic wedding gown. Rihanna’s 2017 Met Gala look. Charli xcx’s Hackney Town Hall wedding dress. Between them, Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons have established themselves as two of the most influential and radical designers of the 21st century. Now, in a world first, some of their most famous works have been brought together for the NGV’s blockbuster, Westwood | Kawakubo, an exhibition presenting more than 140 pieces from their respective archives.

Until April 19. $40 for non-NGV members.

Additional reporting by Lily Beamish.