The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Went here with my son and we paid for the Cats and Dogs art exhibition. Managed to join a tour at 1:30pm which was good, to get some more insight into some of the pieces. Stumbled upon some truly lifelike sculptures towards the end. Uncanny. Had a good time!

The exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre was genuinely interesting, featuring a strong selection of valuable artworks. Although the collection is relatively small and not always organised in clear chronological or geographical order, it is still worth visiting and left a good impression. Unfortunately, our experience was significantly let down by the behaviour of a staff member, likely a security guard, who stopped us while we were quietly viewing the ground-level display. He insisted I return to the entrance and leave my small designer backpack at the cloakroom. When I asked why, I was told that “all gigantic bags that do not fit the frame must be left.” My bag is very small, serving as a purse, and clearly not “gigantic.” I politely asked to test the bag in the frame to verify the claim, but was denied without explanation. The staff member simply said, “You must leave your bag or you cannot enter,” and did not allow any discussion. To avoid creating a scene, I complied and left my bag at the cloakroom. After the visit, I returned and tested the bag in the frame myself while the staff member was elsewhere and only a cloak officer was there. As expected, it fit perfectly, even alongside a pack of disposable bags already inside the frame. I found this extremely disappointing. While I fully respect policies that protect artworks and support reasonable bag checks, these rules should be applied with fairness and common sense. The manner in which I was treated felt unnecessarily authoritarian, as if the individual was more interested in exercising power than ensuring safety. Sadly, this brief but unpleasant encounter tainted what could have been a wonderful gallery visit. I hope management reviews staff training and policies to prevent future visitors from having a similarly negative experience.

I had a great time exploring various Bark painting artworks, which are recognized as a unique genre of art. The pieces were very intuitive, making it perfect to enjoy the exhibition while having meaningful conversations with my child. As part of the special (ticketed) exhibition, we also got to see the beautiful dresses designed by Martin Grant. It was a wonderful opportunity to explain the roles of a fashion designer and a model to my child in an easy and engaging way.

Had a wonderful guided tour of Australian art and history. Unfortunately the lady guiding it did not have strong english, or understand Australian history or art to do this magnificent display justice. Politically incorrect maybe but our group strained to understand what she was telling us. Also did not understand the addition of Chinese and Indian culture wax figures to this display. But our guide loved them and spent too long of the hour admiring them. Came to see Australian art and history and not a reminder of mass immigration changing every aspect of our culture.

Visited here to escape the crazy outside world for a bit, yesterday. It was a good choice. For the reminder of how history spills so much blood into the sand, of how beautiful objects can sometimes tell ugly stories, of how our world views change and grow – or shrink – daily, yet we are convinced that in any given moment we are fixed and eternally ourselves... And for the ability to just sink into the artworks on show, to lose myself in someone else's vision, to meditate on a different experience, a different history... As a school girl I loved the lyrical qua-realism works of the Australian impressionists and art-nouveau; they're here, and lovely. But this time I was bowled over by the indigenous work (most especially those pictured – just wow) as well as the MCM era and ... basically there's such a range of quality across the Australian story. Also, the little nooks and corners of pottery, precious metalwork, clothing; the quiet spaces to rest a moment in front of work that justified slow study ... all good.

A compact extension of the NGV located at Fed Square, this venue showcased a rotating selection of exhibitions with a strong focus on Australian art - the recent highlight being the playful and engaging ‘Cats & Dogs’ exhibition.

We had a wonderful experience visiting the Cats & Dogs exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre. The artworks were impressive—beautifully capturing different moments and eras in the lives of cats and dogs alongside humans—and were presented in a range of formats, making the exhibition visually engaging. One of the highlights was the interactive digital exhibition wall, where visitors could upload photos of their own pets. It added a fun and personal touch, making the entire experience feel memorable.

Always worth stopping by here to spend time in the many free exhibitions on. A great space, never as busy as the NGV. Impressive artwork on display.