Final Weeks of Pharaoh, An Evening with Julia Busuttil Nishimura and more
The NGV is pleased to share a series of events and programs at the Gallery over the coming months including the final weeks of Pharaoh, the return of the Observations virtual lecture series and a special evening with Julia Busuttil Nishimura.
Final weeks of Pharaoh – closing 6 October
Daily until 6 October | Ticketed | NGV International
The 2024 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® exhibition, Pharaoh, will be closing on 6 October.
In partnership with the British Museum, the NGV presents a landmark exhibition that celebrates three thousand years of ancient Egyptian art and culture. Through more than 500 objects, including monumental sculpture, architecture, temple statuary, exquisite jewellery, papyri, coffins and a rich array of funerary objects, the exhibition unpacks the phenomenon of pharaoh, those all-powerful kings claiming a divine origin.
Bookings: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/pharaoh/
Image captions: Visitors in 2024 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® Pharaoh at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Jessie Obialor
Observations: Dress in Art and Design History
12, 19, and 26 October | Ticketed | Online
The Observations lecture series returns this October with online events delving into the history of dress and its profound influence on art and culture. Over three virtual sessions, esteemed international experts will explore how fashion has reflected and shaped historical and cultural changes.
Each session offers a rich exploration of dress as a medium for expression, social commentary, and cultural transformation. Presentations will be available live and for on-demand access starting from October 12, 19, and 26, with a four-week viewing window.
Additionally, the recorded presentations will be edited into the third volume of the NGV Observations series. The publication can be pre-ordered with ticket bookings and is set to release in March 2025.
Image captions: Adriaen Hannemen, Mary Lucas 1636, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Felton Bequest, 1934; JAPANESE, Noh theatre robe, Atsuita, (Nōshōzoku Atsuita 能装束厚板) (late 18th century-early 19th century), National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Felton Bequest in honour of Allan Myers AO President of the Council of Trustees of the NGV, 2012; Vogue magazine, Vogue, November 1945, 1945, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Campbell-Pretty Fashion and Research Collection.
Session 1: Politics of Dress (1500-1900)
Be introduced to key moments in the history of dress from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Using the NGV’s rich collection of art, fashion and textiles as a guide, leading historians, writers, and curators from around the world consider how what we wore in these periods reflected societal ideas and change.
Breeze Barrington, cultural historian and University of Cambridge academic, will examine the development of power dressing Tudor and Stuart portraits over 100 years in Britain and will look at how this genre shaped and was shaped by society.
Dr. Peter McNeil, Professor of Design History, UTS, will explore the evolution of men’s dress, from macaroni subcultures to Regency dandies. Dr McNeil is the author of Pretty Gentlemen: Eighteenth-Century Dress and The Macaroni Fashion World, 2018 and worked with Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Reigning Men, 2016, the largest show of men’s fashion held.
Hilary Davidson, Associate Professor and Chair of MA Fashion and Textile Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, will present the fashion revolutions from the 1790s to the 1820s, as European fashion and textiles underwent a number of radical shifts towards modernity.
Session 2: Freedom of Dress (1800-1950)
Fashion in the early decades of the twentieth century was a time of transition as designers broke away from centuries of tradition to embrace modernity and freedom in dress. This seminar explores how this spirit of change and experimentation was felt across the globe.
Anne Higonnet, Professor of Art History at Barnard College, Columbia University, will discuss Impressionism’s impact on fashion through works by Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and more. Higonnet recently release the critically acclaimed publication Liberty, Equality, Fashion; the Women who Styled the French Revolution.
Writer and head of curatorial and interpretation at the Design Museum in London, Priya Khanchandani, will explore the significance and evolution of the Indian sari.
Nozomi Naoi, Associate Professor of Art History at Yale-NUS College, will present on the intersection of Japanese fashion, modernity and the evolution of the kimono.
Session 3: Expression through Dress (20th Century)
From the Kitmir embroideries made by Russian emigrants for the House of Chanel, to the influence of Karl Lagerfeld on couture in the eighties and the influence of fashion illustration and photography, the final instalment of Observations will consider the tastemakers and agents of change in twentieth century dress.
Alexander Fury, director of AnOther Magazine and men’s fashion critic for Financial Times, will delve into the world of 20th-century couture with a focus on Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy.
Fashion historian and writer, April Calahan will explore the role of fashion media including the role of publications, such as Vogue, and prominent fashion photographers in shaping the industry during this period.
Embroidery and textile designer, Nadia Albertini will present on early Russian embroidery techniques, focusing on Kitmir’s work for Chanel.
Bookings: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/observations-dress-in-art-and-design-history/
An Evening with Julia Busuttil Nishimura at NGV
21 October, 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Ticketed | NGV International
Join beloved author, cook and presenter Julia Busuttil Nishimura for an evening at the NGV International, celebrating a shared love of Italian art, food and culture.
On Monday 21 October, from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Julia will join NGV Senior Curator Dr Ted Gott in a lively conversation about Italian art, food and culture. The talk will explore Julia’s childhood, her connection to Malta and time spent in Italy, and the relationship between art, food and culture in both her professional and family life.
An Evening with Julia Busuttil Nishimura is part of NGV Italia, supported by the Italian Australian Foundation. Discover stories of Italian art, design, culture, and life in the NGV Collection.
Bookings: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/an-evening-with-julia-busutti-nishimura/
Image caption: Portrait of Julia Busuttil Nishimura with Giambattista Tiepolo’s The Banquet of Cleopatra,1743 -1774 at NGV International for NGV Italia event An Evening with Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Photo: Tim Carrafa.
Sharing Connections: NGV Dementia Friendly Program
17 September, 1 October, 14 November, 11.00am – 2.00pm | Ticketed | The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
The NGV is proud to announce that we have been formally recognised by Dementia Australia for the steps taken towards becoming a more dementia friendly venue.
As part of this we present Sharing Connections, a program that welcomes members of the community living with dementia, their families, and care givers to the Gallery each month to explore works of art with an NGV Educator.
Held at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, these free sessions invite visitors to enjoy art-inspired conversations and connect with others through works from the NGV Collection. No prior art knowledge or experience is required.
Upcoming sessions will run on:
- Tuesday 17 September, 11am – 2pm – during Dementia Awareness Week
- Tuesday 1 October, 11am – 2pm
- Thursday 14 November, 11am – 2pm
Different works are featured each month in this program ran by NGV Educators who have been trained to present dementia-friendly programs.
Bookings: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/sharing-connections/
Image captions: Jane Sutherland, United States 1853-1928, Field naturalists c.1896 , oil on canvas , 80.9 × 121.3 cm , National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Gift of Mrs E. H. Shackell, 1962 ; Tom Roberts , Australia 1856 – 1931, Shearing the rams 1890, oil on canvas on composition board, 122.4 x 183.3 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Felton Bequest, 1932
About the Author
Andrew Bistak When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.
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