The National, an ambitious biennial initiative staged across three major Sydney institutions, will be back in 2019.
The four curators of The National: New Australian Art 2019 each hail from one of the partner institutions: Isobel Parker Philip is curator of photographs at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW); Daniel Mudie Cunningham is senior curator of visual arts at Carriageworks; and Clothilde Bullen, curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections and exhibitions, and curator Anna Davis are both from Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA).
This curatorial team will select works by emerging, mid-career and established Australian artists, including Australian artists practicing overseas. The National 2017 featured 170 works by 49 artists.
“The National provides a unique insight into the thinking and practice of Australian contemporary artists at a particular moment in time,” said director of Carriageworks Lisa Havilah. “The collaboration between the AGNSW, Carriageworks and the MCA further extends to integrated public and education programs that explore themes across the exhibition.”
“The collaborative approach to The National enables our three institutions to profile the expertise of each individual curator,” commented director of MCA Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE. “Bringing together four curators for one exhibition provides different viewpoints within a collaborative framework helping to strengthen and shape the relationship between the chosen artworks.”
Director of AGNSW Dr Michael Brandsaid “One of the most exciting aspects of The National is enabling the realisation of ambitious new works by leading Australian artists. The 2019 iteration will bring with it a fresh opportunity for exhibiting artists to explore and experiment with space, form and meaning.”
The complete list of artists who will be exhibiting in The National: New Australian Art 2019 will be announced in August 2018.
The National: New Australian Art 2019
Art Gallery of New South Wales
30 March – 21 July 2019
Carriageworks
30 March – 23 June 2019
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
30 March – 23 June 2019
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