Cost-of-living pressures, rising interest rates, the Voice referendum, and climate change are serious concerns for many – but they have their lighter, more humorous sides, as the latest Behind the Lines exhibition of political cartoons at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) shows.

Behind the Lines 2023: All Fun and Games features 125 cartoons by 46 artists from across Australia, exploring the key political issues and current affairs from Australia and abroad.

This year’s chosen artists, MoAD states, “deftly pinned tails onto many a donkey in their biting satirical drawings, paintings, GIFs and sculptures”.

“At MoAD, we aim to enable and inspire audiences to explore how social and political conversations are shaping Australia and equip them with the skills and ideas to participate in our democracy,” said the Museum’s director, Stephanie Bull.

“Behind the Lines does just this, making it fun, accessible, and interesting to share and explore what it means to live in a democracy like Australia.

“There is no doubt many of the works will elicit a smile and a chuckle … This exhibition asks us to laugh – but it also asks us to reflect, discuss, listen, and learn.”

Ms Bull said MoAD was proud of the role it played capturing the art of political cartooning. “Political cartoons are an important part of our democracy – they encourage debate and understanding,” she said.

“Behind the Lines is a highlight on the MoAD calendar, it allows us to celebrate all cartoonists both established and emerging. This exhibition showcases their skills and explores their contributions to our social political discourse and culture.”

Economic journalist Ross Gittins curated a collection of cartoons showing how interest rates have affected the cost of living over the last 40 years.

Other cartoons look at social progress for women, First Nations peoples, the King’s coronation, and Australia’s relations with China and America.

One wall showcases the work of Fiona Katauskas, a Sydney-based Guardian cartoonist, chosen as Political Cartoonist of the Year “for her fresh ink and watercolour pictures, they gently draw the viewer into her witty pieces of social commentary”.

They depict, for instance, a support group for families of MPs who left politics to spend more time with them; climate change and artificial intelligence joining the horsemen of the apocalypse; or a brief history of talking about the weather (small talk in the 1960s, terror now).

“A lot of Australians,” Ms Katauskas said, “love to talk about how this little plucky nation at the bottom of the world punches above its weight – and sometimes that’s not always entirely true. But in the case of political cartoonists, it is so true.

“Ever since Bruce Petty broke the rules in the 1960s, Australia’s had a really great tradition of innovative, fantastic, and diverse range of illustration styles, of humour, that you won’t find in the UK and the US. It is just the greatest joy and privilege to be part of this absolutely fantastic exhibition.”

A new section, Out of the frame, explores contemporary political cartoons in non-traditional media, such as animated GIFs, sculptures, T-shirts, and puppets.

“They can reach new audiences who might not regularly encounter cartoons,” MoAD explains. “But they retain the wit and insightfulness of their more static two-dimensional counterparts.”

Behind the Lines is probably the most popular exhibition at MoAD, believes former journalist and Chair of the Board of Old Parliament House, Barrie Cassidy.

“The world we live in shows us that democracy is an increasingly fragile concept – internationally, but even in Australia,” Mr Cassidy said.

“We want to connect people to democracy and inspire them to explore, understand, and take part in our democratic system.

– Barry Cassidy

“We want to connect people to democracy and inspire them to explore, understand, and take part in our democratic system.

“At a time when critical thinking and media literacy are vital, this exhibition of political cartoons makes it fun and accessible for everyone to discuss and debate the news and ideas of the day,” he said.

Behind the Lines 2023 at MoAD, Old Parliament House, runs until late November 2024. Entry is free from 9am to 5pm daily (closed Christmas Day).