Just when you thought the Triennial couldn’t be more exciting, NGV is adding a free, after-hours festival to add even more experiences to this massive exhibition. At Triennial EXTRA, you’ll have plenty of fun with DJ sets, pop-up artist talks, performances, immersive gallery exhibitions and more at NGV. This festival will run for ten nights, from Friday January 19 to Sunday January 28.
Triennial EXTRA at NGV
When you enter NGV, you can’t miss the two towering sculptures by British artist, Thomas J Price, in the Federation Court. These pieces will provide inspiration and set the stage for a program filled with live music, spoken word poetry and dance, celebrating the talents of the African diaspora living in Australia. This program will be guest curated by Candy Bowers, and run from 6pm to 9pm every night.
Then, from 9pm to 11pm, there will be DJ sets that will transform the area into a dancefloor. Put on your dancing shoes and move to performances from Sui Zhen, RONA, C.FRIM, IN2STELLAR and more.
In the Great Hall, you can trade your own used tennis balls for one of over 8,000 new balls lining the walls of the Melbourne Tennis Ball Exchange. Perfectly timed with the Australian Open, this participatory artwork by David Shrigley will invite you to think about the joy of exchanging everyday goods.
In Richard Lewer’s Confessions, you’re invited to share your dreams and thoughts, while he paints artworks in response.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Opera soprano Rebecca Rashleigh, and harpist, Glavier Aldana Norgiega, will perform alongside artworks that explore devotion, reverence and obsession. For more music, listen out for composer and performing artist Mindy Meng Wang, as she presents a series of sound interventions, melding compositions with artworks in the exhibition spaces.
There will also be a conversation series, hosted by art historian Dr Olivia Meehan, in which scientists, academics and creative writers will discuss the weather in our everyday lives.
You can also learn more about particular pieces in the Triennial with a variety of artist talks.
Food and drink
The Great Hall will be serving up plenty of champagne, while the Gallery Kitchen will have plenty of cocktails from Four Pillars Gin. Pop out to the Garden Restaurant Terrace for oysters, charcuterie platters and wines from the Yarra Valley at the Yering Station Wine Bar. Graze on pork belly bao, wagyu beef sliders, Moroccan fried cauliflower and gelato in the Great Hall and NGV Garden. The NGV Garden Restaurant will also be open nightly, with an a la carte menu and sharing dining options.