Freedom of Movement: Contemporary Art and Design from the NGV Collection

Physical, geographic and ideological notions of movement are at play in this exhibition, which brings together contemporary artworks and design pieces from the collections at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (until 10 April 2023). The display comprises more than 60 works including lighting, furniture, painting, film and sculpture. Highlights include Untitled (Rock) (2012–15), an installation by the Indian artist Shilpa Gupta which explores the mass movements of populations. Making reference to the Partition of India in 1947, the work consists of hundreds of microphones which emit an audio recording of the artist reading a poem that imagines a world without geographical boundaries. Elsewhere, Alex Prager’s short film Face in the Crowd (2013) considers the complexities of collective behaviour and the desire to stand out. The exhibition concludes by looking at different forms of human and animal movement, through a series of sculptural and mixed media works such as Nick Cave’s Soundsuit (2015). Find out more on the National Gallery of Victoria’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here

Horse Lamp (2006), Sonia Lagerkvist, Anna Lingren, Charlotte Von Der Lacken, Katja Sävström, Front Design, Moooi, Breda. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Photo: Maarten van Houten; © the designers

Soundsuit (2015), Nick Cave. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; © Nick Cave

Untitled (Rock) (2012–15), Shilpa Gupta. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. © the artist and Galleria Continua