Exclusive to Sydney, the Art Gallery of New South Wales presents Ron Mueck: Encounter – the largest exhibition of the internationally acclaimed Australian sculptor ever shown in the country.
Celebrated for his vividly lifelike figures and remarkable shifts in scale, Ron Mueck (born 1958, Melbourne; lives England) has reshaped the language of contemporary figurative sculpture.
Encounter brings together nearly a third of Mueck’s exceptional output over a three-decade career, featuring major works sourced from public and private collections across Australia, Europe, Asia and North America – most never before seen in Australia.
The exhibition traces the emotional and psychological terrain for which Mueck is renowned – moments of vulnerability, connection and solitude rendered with astonishing precision.
At the heart of the exhibition is the world premiere of Havoc 2025, a powerful new immersive sculpture created especially for Sydney. This monumental installation draws visitors into a tense, cinematic stand-off between two packs of colossal dogs – an unsettling, urgent reflection on the anxieties that shape our times.
“Ron Mueck is one of Australia’s most important living artists, having achieved incredible international success over the past 30 years,” said Art Gallery of New South Wales director, Maud Page.
“Encounter offers a rare chance to experience the depth and ambition of his practice on home soil, and to witness the debut of a major new work that reflects his evolving practice and resonates powerfully with the tensions of our world today.”
Ron Mueck: Encounter is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and is presented as part of the Sydney International Art Series 2025–26.
“Ron Mueck’s work has captivated audiences around the world, and this new exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the Sydney International Art Series will give visitors the unique opportunity to experience his extraordinary sculptures,” said Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper.
A handsomely illustrated new publication accompanies the exhibition, including an extended essay by the exhibition curator and senior curator of exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jackie Dunn, detailed entries on the 15 exhibited artworks and intimate photographs by French photographer Gautier Deblonde, documenting behind-the-scenes moments in the development of Havoc at Mueck’s studio in the Isle of Wight.
Ron Mueck: Encounter
Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery Road, The Domain (Sydney)
Exhibition continues to 12 April 2026
Entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au for details.
Images: Installation view of the Ron Mueck: Encounter exhibition, featuring Havoc 2025, courtesy the artist © Ron Mueck, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Anna Kucera | Installation view of the Ron Mueck: Encounter exhibition, featuring Couple Under an Umbrella 2013/2015, Giverny Capital Collection © Ron Mueck, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins