National Gallery of Victoria - International, Southbank, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Museum Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Give us the big picture. When the National Gallery of Victoria's collection became too vast, the NGV, as it's called, was able to move its Australian works to a new, purpose-built space, leaving the international pieces here, in a bluestone monolith designed in 1967 by esteemed Australian architect Roy Grounds. The museum—the largest, oldest, and most popular art institution in Australia—is big, but not huge, so you can quite easily take in all the galleries in one visit if you’ve got comfy shoes. And it’s just as interesting for gallery rookies as it is for aficionados. The interior, which was updated in the early 2000s by Mario Bellini and Metier 3, has a waterwall in the entryway and a Leonard French stained-glass ceiling in the Great Hall. Wow. So what's the permanent collection like? This collection begins in the 1800s and includes more than 70,000 pieces from across the globe. Some of them—the first cast of Rodin’s "The Thinker," Man Ray’s "Kiki with African Mask," Picasso’s "The Weeping Woman," and Yayoi Kusama’s "Tender Are the Stairs to Heaven"—are classics. And the temporary exhibitions? The annual blockbuster exhibitions (Van Gogh, MoMA at NGV, Degas, and so on) receive huge acclaim and attract enormous crowds. Give us the details on the visitors. The museum draws steady crowds from around the world, and it's usually busy—particularly when there's a big show in town. Because the permanent exhibitions are free, locals often swing by, even for a few minutes, between meetings. There are probably more children than you’d expect thanks to some amazing kids' programming; during a recent Viktor & Rolf exhibition, for example, kids could make paper headpieces and fancy collars in their very own craft room. What's the space like? Easy to get around? The vast central atrium, itself a regular home for showstopping works, has balconies and escalators that run up to the permanent collection and smaller visiting exhibitions. Some spaces, like the Salon Room (named for the manner in which 19th-century works are hung), are rather large—you might soon find that you’ve lost your friends. Out back is a lush garden with a moat, sculptures, and plenty of deckchairs and bean bags for reclining in the sun. What if we want a guide? Free tours, which take place throughout the day, are included in the price of admission. Major exhibitions also have companion floor talks and lectures. And should we feel like browsing the gift shop, what will we find? In addition to books and catalogues, the gift shop stocks fantastic gifts, jewelry, and homewares that are often aligned with whatever's on view. If we get hungry, is there good grub here? The ground-floor Gallery Kitchen is perfunctory and often crowded, but the Garden Restaurant is just the sort of place where you'll want to relax with a glass of wine and a seasonal bite. There’s also the chance to indulge in a modern interpretation of high tea in the Tea Room—check out the teapot motifs on the servers' skirts. We're dragging along a non-art person. Will they still have fun? Even if you have a short attention span or care very little about art, you'll likely enjoy your visit. There’s so much to see—even the people-watching is first class." - Carrie Hutchinson