Art

Matariki a.k.a. Māori New Year is just around the corner (Friday 20 June to be exact). A time of reflection and new beginnings, Aotearoa is busting out all the stops with a treasure trove of ways to celebrate.

If you're in need of a little creative inspiration, or the weather is too cold, too hot or too wet—Sydney has a broad collection of brilliant art galleries to peruse.

Get out of the house and change up your weekend routine with a trip to one of these amazing Sydney museums. 

Just shy of a year ago, Melbourne's RISING took the city by a cross-cultural storm with around two weeks of electric events, gigs, performances and experiences, and the good news is that they're officially returning for 2023. Dates have been confirmed—for Wednesday 7 June through to Sunday 18 June—along with the first act. And it's set to be a showstopper. 

If you’re keen to make your own teapots, platters, bowls and ceramic keep cups then you’ll want to pay attention.

The smash-hit immersive exhibition is coming back to Sydney.

Hannah Gadsby is returning to the Sydney Opera House next month with a brand new show.

We’re rolling into week three of lockdown now—and though you might have resisted the urge to bake banana bread thus far, we reckon it’s time to hunker down and embrace all the at-home creativity possible, baking or otherwise.

Right now, Sydney is entering a new era of nightlife. The red tape and restrictions that once earned us accolades like “10th worst city in the world” are being replaced with late-night licenses, city-wide festivals, and new venues keen to tap into the government’s grand scheme for a 24-hour city.

Remember Sydney’s monorail? Installed in 1988, it was ultimately torn down in 2013 and—like so much of our city’s transport infrastructure, it wasn’t exactly useful—but boy oh boy, was it novel.

Opening today and running until June, UTS Gallery is presenting a survey exhibition of works from celebrated Gunditjmara artist Hayley Millar Baker.

From sleeping and waking, to how we appreciate colours, drive cars, watch Netflix, and appreciate art—light completely defines how we see the world. Sometimes completely seamless, other times super awe-inspiring, light has the power to colour a moment, change a memory, or charge up a mood. 

Running in conjunction with IWD and Art Month, the exhibition displays the works of Indigenous Australian women from across the country.

Claude Monet is one of the most famous names in the world of art. He was a part of the crew that founded the French impressionist movement, was fascinated by light, colour and changing seasons, and really (really) loved to paint water lilies. His work is peppered throughout major art institutions all around the world, but sadly, none reside here in Sydney.

In celebration of Frozen the Musical hitting Sydney, Cork & Canvas has launched a fresh new Frozen-themed paint and sip series that’ll allow you to recreate the magic and sparkle from the scenes of this Disney classic.

If you’re in need of a little art, science, history, or ancient culture inspo, make a plan to visit Sydney’s newest public museum.

Willie The Boatman is a laidback brewpub with a whole range of tasty beers ready for the taking. This cruisy brewery also sports a whole lot of interior game with suspended plants, long beer hall tables, wooden booths, and a rotating line-up of some of Sydney’s best food trucks on the side too. Yes—he’s a serious contender for the best Sunday session ever.

Sydney Contemporary has been working hard on a digital edition. Revealed today, “Sydney Contemporary Presents 2020” is the result—a virtual world containing some 450 new artworks created by over 380 artists during 2020.

Last week, Holly Ryan polished off the slick brass signage for her new Sydney HQ in leafy Surry Hills. True to form for the artist, the by-appointment-only, two-storey space is a serene destination, filled with greenery, art, jewellery and mid-century modern furniture.

It’s been dubbed the world’s most Instagrammable exhibition—selling out stints in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia—and it's back.

Sydney has been gifted with a huge new mural of legendary AFL player and all-around awesome human, Adam Goodes.

As one of Sydney’s biggest hot-spots for all things clay-related, Clay Sydney is now a mecca of workshops, both in-studio and online.

Carriageworks, Sydney’s sprawling industrial-style arts precinct, last night announced it will go into voluntary administration. 

Clay Sydney has decided to continue all of their epic ceramics classes and courses—but instead of hosting them on-site as per usual, the Marrickville Studio has found a way to bring the clay, the tools and the vibes to you.   

Crockd is all about getting out of your head and into your hands. It’s a DIY pottery kit that can be delivered right to your front door, so there’s no need to break quarantine to get your craft on. 

There’s no shortage of exhibitions and creative workshops happening around Melbourne. But this month, Can’t Do Tomorrow has really gathered them all under one roof. From street art to breathtaking installation to art chats and workshops, trust us when we say that Can’t Do Tomorrow is truly the only thing you’ll need to attend this month to get your fill on creative inspiration.

Can’t Do Tomorrow is making things easy for us this month when it comes to keeping you up to speed on what’s cool, new and trending. Why? Because the new underground festival has assembled everything that’s cool, new and trending under one roof this month.

You’ve probably already heard about Can’t Do Tomorrow, Melbourne’s new underground festival. And if you haven’t, here’s the quick lowdown: think 10 days packed with interactive installations, jaw-dropping street art, good vibes, hidden bars, live music, and the best part of it all: a chance to meet some of the peeps behind Urban List and mingle with other Urban Listers as well.

Melbourne’s most anticipated underground festival—Can't Do Tomorrow—is kicking off next week and you won’t want to miss it when it hits. With more than 100 artists showcasing exclusive works, secret bars, live acts that’ll get your blood pumping and interactive exhibitions that’ll blow your mind, you best believe this baby is almost sold out. So if you haven’t bought your ticket yet, we strongly suggest you do so ASAP. Use the promo code URBANCDT to get $10 off your ticket cost.

Ready for all the PDA's you can handle is an iridescent laneway lined with candy-hued flowers, feathers, a neon-lit kissing booth and (at 9am and 11am each day) literal bubble rain.

We're just days away from street art festival Can't Do Tomorrow kicking off at The Facility in Kensington. And with the array of amazing artists at the festival, you'd be mad not to take advantage of the bargain price of $25 to get in. 

For the second year running, we’re unpacking Chinese New Year with the next-gen living in Sydney—a new band of creatives whose heritage filters through their work as they work to carve out a new identity. 

In December we announced that a new street art festival would be hitting Melbourne in 2020, and now, just over a month later we’ve got our hands on the epic line-up that Can’t Do Tomorrow will be bringing to The Facility in Kensington.

Having already scared most of Perth and Melbourne already, both SÉANCE and FLIGHT interactive installations are due to hit Sydney this year. 

Melbourne is home to some of the finest street art produced in Australia.

They’re here just in time for Christmas and completely free.

We caught up with the art superstar at the opening of Japan Supernatural, and the big reveal of his explosive new artwork for the Art Gallery of NSW.

And it’s packed to the rafters with 130 emerging and independent artists.

This week, 96 artists from more than 25 countries were announced as part of the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, which is set to take over the city from March through to June next year.

Here's what to expect at Sydney Contemporary art fair this year. Grab a ticket a set aside your brunch plans, because there’s a lot to take in. The 2019 edition is bigger than ever before, it’s a little more provocative (a founding member of the Guerrilla Girls will make an appearance) and it’s a whole lot more diverse. 

This September, the Fringe Festival will transform Sydney into an epicentre of art and culture and you won’t want to miss it. 

Full of laser projectors, Asian club music and kick drums.

Firstdraft gallery's iconic art auction is entering its tenth year. Grab $5 raffle tickets to win a mystery artwork.

Artist slash skater boy Shaun Gladwell has revealed a major survey exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring his most famous videos and some new VR work. 

Hosted at the Marrickville Bowlo, Hiccup Sustainable Art Party will feature climate change-inspired installations from 11 artists and a whole lot of live music. 

From an exploration on the sensitivities and complexities of love in a former cop station to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, rooftop art brunch and art infused with rock-climbing, these are the best exhibitions to see in Sydney in July. 

Picture yourself in the middle of a 100-square metre field of continuous rainfall, except whenever you move, the droplets avoid you like bullets in the Matrix—you’re fully immersed in the rain while simultaneously protected from it. Art group Random International’s monumental artwork, Rain Room, will make its Southern Hemisphere debut in Melbourne, having already captivated over half a million patrons worldwide.