The National Gallery of Australia has announced its 2026 program.
Director Dr Nick Mitzevich said: “In 2026, the National Gallery continues to champion artistic excellence, art history and the ideas that have shaped Australia’s cultural identity. From Arthur Boyd’s spiritual tapestries to the rebellious energy of Mad Max in Full Throttle, and from the deep cultural strength of After the Rain to the visionary work of Rosalie Gascoigne — these exhibitions reveal the vast possibilities of storytelling through art.”
After the Rain (6 December – 26 April), the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial, features 10 immersive, large-scale projects by established and emerging First Nations artists from across Australia, telling the stories of rebirth and cycles of cleansing through visual art. It is the realisation of Artistic Director Tony Albert’s vision. A national tour will follow.
Ngura Pulka — Epic Country (11 April to 23 August) showcases paintings by senior First Nations artists and collectives from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Coober Pedy and Adelaide/Tarntanya. From the beginning of the APY art movement, these artists have celebrated and shared their Tjukurpa (Aṉangu law/ cultural stories) through their monumental paintings and distinctive designs. Senior women artists, as Community leaders, say that these works represent the ultimate freedom of cultural expression, exploration, and depiction of their Tjukurpa and Ngura (land).
Arthur Boyd: tapestries (20 June to 18 October) is the first time 20 monumental tapestries by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd have been put on public display. Boyd commissioned the tapestries, part of his large-scale Life of St Francis series, from the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre, Portugal, and the National Gallery purchased them in 1975.
Presented alongside this exhibition, Tapestries from the national collection (30 May to 1 November) demonstrates how this ancient form of textile production remains a compelling medium for artists today.
Rosalie Gascoigne (31 October 2026 to 7 February 2027) is a retrospective honouring an Australian artist. From her early small assemblages to her expansive wall works and floor installations, the exhibition traces Gascoigne’s transformation of found, humble materials into inventive and radiant works that evoke the natural world.
Full Throttle (5 December 2026 to 29 March 2027) does not glorify the automobile — it interrogates it. Contemporary artists challenge the myths and meanings built around cars, and confront themes of gender, power, performance and national identity. From post-apocalyptic myth to suburban realism, the car is shown as a connector and divider, saviour, destroyer and muse. Fuelled by the legacy of the Mad Max films, the exhibition features immersive installations and works by international and Australian artists.
Next year’s programming also includes new National Gallery Touring Exhibitions and the Sharing the National Collection program, supported through the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy Revive.
Recent acquisitions to the national collection will be displayed for the first time, including works by Albert Namatjira, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Trent Parke, Dana Schutz, Julie Mehrutu, and Raven Halfmoon.
Highlighting these acquisitions, new collection displays will invite audiences to consider different themes through a variety of mediums. They include:
- Blueprints for temples (2 April to January 2027), exploring the relationship between the body and architecture;
- Migration and modernism: Émigré artists in post-war Australia (23 May to March 2027), reflecting on migrants’ experiences;
- Supporting the national collection: Gordon and Marilyn Darling (1 August to January 2027);
- Blossom: Country in bloom (22 August to February 2027), showcasing work by First Nations women artists that draw upon floral and botanical impressions of Country;
- David Hockney: portraits in print(5 September to 14 February), 60 works by an important English artist; and
- History of drawing: from 1901 to today (3 October to 7 February),including a recently acquired Gustav Klimt.
New tours celebrating the National Gallery’s photographic collection include Max Dupain and Ansel Adams: in search of perfection (from March) and Photography in the 1980s (from September), as part of the Bowness Family Foundation Photography Touring Program.
“Sharing the national collection with more Australians beyond Kamberri/Canberra is at the heart of the National Gallery’s purpose,” Dr Mitzevich said. “Through Art Across Australia programming including touring exhibitions and the Sharing the National Collection program, more Australians than ever can engage with the national collection in their own communities. Last year, the collection travelled to every state and territory, reaching over three million people, and we look forward to continuing to expand our reach throughout 2026.”
