Sydney is turning up the heat!
This year, summer in Sydney is all about art and festivals. From exhibitions honouring fashion designers, to artist’s showcasing their work for the first time Down Under and, of course, Sydney WorldPride, there’s a lot to see and do. Here are the top art events and festivals to catch over the summer break.
Zampatti Powerhouse, Powerhouse Museum
Fashion lovers will relish in the historical documentation of Carla Zampatti’s life’s work at Zampatti Powerhouse. The exhibition features 100 of the iconic Australian fashion designer’s outfits that have been sourced from Zampatti’s estate, the Carla Zampatti Fashion Archive, and some of the country’s most famous women, like Ita Buttrose AC OBE and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark. Numerous public callouts were also made to the Australian general public to check wardrobes to see if they had any pristine garments stowed away.
The exhibition displays some of Zampatti’s earliest designs from the 60s and 70s and has been thoughtfully curated to showcase the designer’s evolution. Mannequins are dressed and grouped on plinths based on style. Each plinth represents a certain silhouette or style that has transcended time. On each plinth you can find silhouettes and patterns that speak to each but were designed years, or even decades, apart. Till June 11, free, maas.museum/event/carla-zampatti
Gucci Gardens Archetypes, Powerhouse Museum
The much anticipated Gucci Garden Archetypes multimedia exhibition has made a fashionable touch down in Sydney at the Powerhouse Ultimo. Gucci fans will take a nostalgic trip down memory lane as past brand campaigns are brought to life through cutting edge technology, elaborate hand-crafting and innovative interior designs, creating immersive worlds from one exhibition room to the next. Till January 15, free, maas.museum/event/gucci-garden-archetypes
Related story: The Gucci Garden Archetypes exhibition has made a stylish debut in Sydney
Sydney Modern, Art Gallery of NSW
After three long years, art lovers can finally explore the new Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) building. It’s been 30 years since the Art Gallery has had a proper expansion and this new building will almost double its capacity for displaying artworks.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA, the contemporary building is connected to the original Art Gallery through a perfectly manicured outdoor public garden.To celebrate the opening, the Art Gallery will be hosting a free program of exhibitions, collection displays and new commissions, featuring works by over 900 local and international artists. There’ll also be a curated program of talks, workshops, special performances and music, including a nightly drone show designed by Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie. Free, artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Related story: The new $334 million AGNSW building is opening this weekend
Do Ho Suh, Museum of Contemporary Art
This stellar solo exhibition marks Do Ho Suh’s first in the Southern Hemisphere. The South Korean artist’s exhibition will feature works fromthe 1990s till now. Some of his Do Ho Suh’s most iconic large-scale installations, sculptures, drawings, printmaking and video works will be on display. The exhibition will be exclusively shown in Sydney, so don’t miss out. Till February 26, tickets from $22, mca.com.au
Van Gogh Alive, Sydney Entertainment Quarter
It’s back! On its first trip Van Gogh Alive took Sydney by storm. One of the most popular and Instagrammable events is returning for a brief visit. Discover Van Gogh’s work like you’ve never seen it before as it comes to life in this immersive, multimedia exhibition. Highlights include the Sunflower Infinity Room, which is a reimagined version of Van Gogh’s most recognisable works Sunflowers and is a room full of artificial sunflowers. You will also walk through another famous work, Starry Nights, which becomes fully animated and showcased on giant screens. Tickets from $39, December 8 – February 12, vangoghalive.com.au
Sydney Festival
Sydney Festival, summer’s hottest event, is back for 2023. The vibrant program is made up of more than 100 events that will take place over five days from January 5-29. You can make it your life’s mission to attend them all, but we recommend not missing the immersive multimedia exhibition Frida Kahlo: Life of an Icon, Sun & Sea which will transform the inside of Sydney Town Hall into a sandy beach and six-metre-tall water-play installation Cupid’s Koi Garden. Ticket prices vary,, January 5-29, sydneyfestival.org.au
Related story: Don’t miss this immersive Frida Kahlo experience at next year’s Sydney Festival
Sydney WorldPride
This will be a star-studded event with Chali XCX, Kelly Rowland, Kylie Minogue and Jessica Mauboy all in town to perform for Sydney WorldPride. The annual festival will host more than 300 events across the city to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. Hot and in demand events include the Mardi Gras Paradiso Pool Party at ivy Pool, the Bondi Beach Party, where a stage will be set up on the beach, and Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert. The iconic Mardi Gras Parade will be returning to where it all began, Oxford Street, on February 25. Ticket prices vary, February 17 – March 5, sydneyworldpride.com
Related story: Book your tickets, the Sydney WorldPride Festival Guide is here
Image credits: Do Ho Suh, Staircase-III, 2010, installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, 2022, polyester fabric, stainless steel, Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2011, image courtesy the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, © Do Ho Suh, photograph: Anna Kučera
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