More than half a million people visit NGV Triennial in opening weeks

NGV Ron Mueck Mass (detail) 2016–17 - photo by Sean FennessyMore than 500,000 people from Australia and across the world have visited the inaugural NGV Triennial since its opening at the National Gallery of Victoria on Friday 15 December 2017.

Gallery hours were recently extended for 10 consecutive nights during Triennial EXTRA – a free festival that took over all four floors of the Gallery and NGV Garden. Open until midnight from 19 – 28 January, Triennial EXTRA was a celebration of performance, art and ideas with accompanying DJs, bars and a restaurant curated by award-winning Melbourne restaurateur, Andrew McConnell.

Triennial EXTRA drew more than 85,000 people into the Gallery. A crowd favourite during Triennial EXTRA was Accumulation – a guided, world-premiere dance tour of the NGV Triennial exhibition performed by Chunky Move.

“The success of the NGV Triennial demonstrates a strong appetite for contemporary art and design in our city,” said Tony Ellwood, Director NGV. “We are confident that the exhibition will become a highlight event on Victoria’s cultural calendar in the years to come.’

Since its opening, over 53,000 children have visited the NGV Triennial, including those that attended the popular NGV Kids Summer Festival held in January. Occurring every three years, the NGV Triennial features major works by over 100 artists and designers from 32 countries, including premiere commissions by Ron Mueck, Yayoi Kusama, Xu Zhen, teamLab, Sissel Tolaas and Alexandra Kehayoglou.

“The NGV Triennial has been the standout hit of Melbourne’s summer,” said Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley. “With the world’s best contemporary art and design taking over all four floors of NGV International, it’s an experience that everyone can enjoy and return to again and again. This is our creative state at its best – ambitious, awe-inspiring, fun and free for all.”

Further programs and events for the NGV Triennial will continue over the course of the exhibition and will also be held during Melbourne Design Week (15 – 25 March) and Melbourne Art Book Fair (16 – 18 March). Melbourne Design Week and Melbourne Art Book Fair will give visitors even more opportunities to hear artists, designers and curators discuss the ideas and inspirations behind the Triennial works.

The NGV Triennial is on display at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, until 15 April 2018. Entry is free. For more information, visit: www.ngv.melbourne for details.

Image: Ron Mueck Mass (detail) 2016–17, Installation view. Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Felton Bequest, 2017 – photo by Sean Fennessey