Your Guide to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art
Located in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art was established in 1983 under the Cain Government after a call came from Melbourne artists for a contemporary art space. ACCA’s first exhibition 3 Artists / 3 Rooms was held in the Dallas Brooks Drive building where artists David Larwill, Juan Davila and Howard Arkley were each given a room to paint. Since then ACCA has presented hundreds of exhibitions from Australian and international contemporary artists and launched thousands of programs including lectures and talks, public events, performances, screenings, seminars and more. This is your guide to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art including current and upcoming exhibitions and events.
Architecture
Designed by the architecture firm Wood Marsh, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art is one of Melbourne’s most striking buildings, featuring a rusted steel façade in a geometric design. Inspired by the German concept of the Kunsthalle, ACCA is essentially a shell housing four gallery spaces which branch out from the main foyer. ‘The building is designed to make reference to its function…a sculpture in which to show art,’ architects Roger Wood and Randal Marsh said.
Current Exhibitions and Events
Chapter One: July 30 – August 28th 2016; Chapter Two: September 2 – 25th, 2016
Following the first segment of the exhibition, the second chapter of Painting. More Painting features the work of more than 70 living Australian contemporary artists whose art reinvents the medium ‘within strict limitations,’ and sparks debate among viewers. Presented across all four of ACCA’s exhibition galleries, Painting. More Painting will also present a series of solo surveys from artists including Teresa Baker, Angela Brennan, Mitch Cairns, Diena Georgetti, Matthys Gerber, David Jolly and Karl Wiebke.
Family Art Day
September 25, 2016, 12:30-3pm
Join artists Tully Moore and Sam Songailo for a day of free creative workshops catered to children between the ages of 4 – 12 and their families. The workshops will each run twice, allowing visitors to participate in both.
The Grand Tour: Cities Shaped by Art, Los Angeles with Annika Kristensen
Monday October 24th, 2016
Exhibition and bar open 5-6pm; Lecture 6-7pm; $35
Take a virtual tour of Los Angeles with ACCA curator Annika Kristensen in a lecture series studying the streets and sights of the City of Angels. With a complimentary cocktail in hand, attendees will explore the cultural significance of this west coast city.
Gerard Byrne: A late evening in the future
October 8 – November 27th, 2016
Inspired by Samuel Beckett’s one-act play Krapp’s Last Tape, Irish artist Gerard Byrne has created a multi-sensory theatrical experience which employs lights, television monitors, video projections and architectural studies to “blur distinctions between past and future, myth and reality.” A late evening in the future assembles 15 years’ worth of recordings by Byrne showcasing his interest in ‘collective history and dramatic reconstruction.’ In addition to the exhibition, ACCA presents Gerard Byrne in conversation with curator Annika Kristensen as well as a keynote lecture. Located in the main exhibition gallery, A late evening in the future is a part of the Melbourne Festival.
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