For the first time in its 17 years of operation, Melbourne CBD’s humble “for hire” art gallery No Vacancy is bringing a new annual group exhibition of scale to its offerings in a celebration of local art. Featuring over 80 pieces from artists of all backgrounds, this exhibition marks the first time the gallery looked this diverse and vibrant at a single glance.
Though the pieces range across various traditional and contemporary mediums, one thing is apparent throughout: that each artist has brought along a unique approach with unhindered self-expression. No two pieces evoke the exact same feeling, or compete with each other within the space – an effect accomplished through the precisely considered curation by director Matthew Naturani and co-director Mythra Sage Schwartz.
When the open call for this exhibition was announced a few months prior, both curators received an abundant number of applications. Naturani and Schwartz tell ArtsHub that their selection process was ‘based on both the quality of work, and the artist’s larger practice as a whole’.
Staying true to the mission of No Vacancy, works from underrepresented artists and those who have not had yet been featured in a show have been prioritised. The result is a beautiful collage of thematically rich and aesthetically diverse art that, when viewed together, truly delivers a sense of Melbourne’s prosperous and ever-expanding local art scene.
Some works are visually, intellectually and topically confrontational, challenging the audience’s palette. For example, Nathan Wright’s 21st of December 2023 is a prismatic, impressionistic portrait rendered through different coloured ink-stamping. It depicts people walking at an intersection, made up of words like “survivor”, “Trump” and “Franco Cozzo”.
Others are soothing, emotionally and spiritually driven to elicit highly personal responses. Standouts include Ben Liney’s contemplative photorealistic painting depicting a sliver of grey sky between two mossy boulders; Auspicious Fishes by Elmira Ng, which illustrates notions of Chinese traditions in contemporary diasporic households; and Lana De Jager’s vibrant solar plate etching of two origami boats.
At times, pieces that are placed adjacent to each other almost “speak” to one another, enhancing their effect. Works of various sizes are displayed on walls almost like a horizon near the eye-level. Meanwhile, sculpted pieces such as Josephine Powell’s ceramic Sculptural Vessel and the delicate hand-embroidered Untitled (ghost plant) by J B Knibbs add dynamism to the exhibition.
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Over multiple visits to No Vacancy over several exhibitions, this was the first time this reviewer has seen the gallery so packed (living up to the gallery name). The audience, consisting of people from all ages and backgrounds, was as colourful as the art on the walls. The curators have successfully personified the ethos of the gallery, where a strong sense of collective harmony is palpable.
A large round of applause for every artist involved as well as the curators. This is the kind of exhibition Melbourne (and Australia) deserves more of.
No Vacancy Annual is on view at No Vacancy Gallery until 31 August; free.