Artbank: 45 years of investing in Australian art

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, Artbank’s continues to uplift Australian contemporary art to the benefit of both artists and art lovers.

Left to right by: John Mawurndujul Pat Bassington, Bronwyn Oliver, Patricia Piccinini

Honey Long: Body Orbit 2015

Graeme Altmann: Low Tide II

During Melbourne’s Open House 2025 I was like a kid in a candy store, among visitors sliding out racks of salon-hung works, all safely stored at Artbank. An exhibition continuously in motion, each rack revealed new gems. In discovering (often early) works from now renowned Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian artists, I found myself learning a little about the institution and its ambition too.

An arm of the Australian Government Office for the Arts, Artbank has a unique way of promoting contemporary Australian artists. Artworks are curated to be enjoyed serendipitously, outside the prestige of a museum or gallery. They are leased to everyday locations, an offering to the broader public’s eye. The collection of over 10,000 works can be found in corporate offices, government buildings, private homes or — providing an accelerated path to international recognition for artists — on the walls of embassies in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Annual fees cycle from payment of one artwork, to reinvestment in the next, supporting Artbank’s expanding collection and curatorial capacity.

As a collector, Artbank has a unique emphasis on being at the frontline, seeking out emerging and mid-career artists, providing a dose of validation and exposure when it’s needed most. The curatorial team keeps their eyes peeled across primary market sources, from commercial galleries and prizes to art centres. They also wade through submissions from artists, offering a direct line to those otherwise unrepresented.  

On the 8 August 2025 (until October) Artbank Melbourne’s exhibition space brought to life a 45-year anniversary exhibition. Featuring the likes of Howard Arkley, Pat Bassington, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Patricia Piccinini, selected works represent the breadth of the collection that has now been compiled into a celebratory publication, launched on the night. The exhibition hints at the leg-up Artbank has given many of Australia’s now most famous internationally recognised artists, and the value in investing in arts programs through sustained, decades-long government support. 

 So, what will the next 45 years hold? A nod to its evolving relevance, Artbank is collaborating with Melbourne International Film Festival, with sculptural works on show at cinemas in a cross-pollination of cultural talents. 

With one hand, Artbank heroes artists who may otherwise struggle to emerge in a competitive and sometimes luck-based industry. With the other, it extends the reach of art by gifting it to the public who may otherwise never think to seek it out. Harnessing art’s ability to garner boldness and empathy, Artbank’s role remains crucial in showcasing thought-provoking joys from contemporary Australian artists.

HABITUS LIVING ONLINE: THE BEGUILING JOY OF ATONG ATEM’S PORTRAITURE

The Garden of Earthly Delights: A portrait of human avarice

The Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymous Bosch Panel 3 excerpt

The Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymous Bosch, Panel 3 excerpt

Five hundred years ago Hieronymous Bosch painted The Garden of Earthly Delights. A triptych with two exterior panels depicting the third day of creation (when The Garden of Eden came to be, according to the bible). The exterior panels are grey, grim and lifeless juxtaposing what lies inside. At a glance the three interior panels are playful and decorative like a child’s wistful fable of make believe. Upon closer inspection the gore of Bosch’s figures is unsettling. 

Sometimes human, sometimes animal, sometimes hybrid. Gnarly, gothic figures spear, decapitate, eat and pleasure each other. The shameful deterioration from paradise to hell is generally considered a religious warning to resist temptation. Dignity being the most precious thing that a human can lose. The first panel shows the angelic allure of desire, the middle a mystical orgy before the third gets simply hellish. Although the creatures are physically disturbing, most frightening (though unsurprising as Bosch is considered a precursor to the Surrealists) is the sense that this twisted imagery could be plucked from the psyche of today’s anxious nightmares.

A sense of infinite human folly is illustrated through compositional layering, not only across the triptych but also in the rolling hills fore to background, and in the prolific spattering of humans taking part. 

Christ looks directly at the viewer including them in the mayhem - you did this. 

Beyond a religious and sexual context, Bosch highlights the rippling butterfly effect of temptation and its subsequent destruction. Humans follow one after the other wreaking havoc. 

Because to err is the most human thing of all.

Bosch reveals the pitfalls of blindly following others, of wanting what they have and propelling a collective greed. This chaos of individualistic indulgence acts a mirror – as modern news outlets frequently remind us that we humans consume everything in our path. 

Consumers of the world rather than citizens,

Bosch insists that there is a cost,

Because nothing comes for free, 

Especially in paradise. 

MARION BORGELT - SILENT SYMPHONY

 SILENT SYMPHONY

At a time of quotidian angst, this suite of work offers escape and lends perspective. Silent Symphony alludes to nature's exquisite designs by referencing fundamental archetypal patterns and forms. The artist’s selection of different materials considers how their innate properties are best elevated to result in expressions of orbital motions about time and change.

Scale becomes enigmatic in the works; they may be viewed as though through a microscope’s lens upon the minute, yet are simultaneously suggestive of vast eternal rhythms and infinite symmetries trapped in a volution. These works give prominence to the meticulously engineered natural world and reveal its omnipresent melodies that generally escape the naked eye. By intersecting the realms of physics, mathematics, design and rhythm inherent in nature, this exhibition underlines the elementary connections of all things. 

Artist Statement by Caitlin Leishman. See more of Marion Borgelt’s work via her website.

Spectrum: John Pawson

Photographers and Architects both frame space and are selective when at work. In his book, Spectrum, John Pawson clarifies the distinctions between the two practices, despite also evincing a common sentiment.  

Pawson describes the therapeutic quality of photography as a practice, the sense that life passes with such hype that pressing pause on a detail, that is otherwise fleeting, brings about a sense of comfort. Through one moment and one click, photography preserves and reflects perspective. 

Image: John Pawson

Architecture, by comparison, is a practice of patience and permanency. Clients, finance, infrastructure and permits all push and pull winds into the road of the route to an architectural outcome. So it takes a certain kind of obsessive fierceness to ensure design prevails. Therefore, Pawson’s diverse folio of homes, airport lounges, churches, a monastery, museums and hotels among others, speaks to his successful design principles that pierce through potential impacts to the design process.  

The Jaffa hotel in Tel Aviv structurally preserves aspects of its former life as a convent, while the blushing interiors add the warmth of an Israeli dusk. The white walls of the abbey of Our Lady of Novy Dvur Monastery in the Czech Republic, design-wise, feature light and not much else which opens up space for pensiveness. In Berlin, the Feuerle Collection is housed by Pawson’s refurbished bunker. The central black lake and minimal glowing light resets the senses for visitors as they meander ancient sculptural works of South-East Asia. Viewing these works, the space mimics characteristics of swimming, noise is drowned out, sculptures that can only be infinitely heavy seem to lightly float and you become very aware of your breadth.  

Image: John Pawson

Spectrum reveals a connection in the design philosophy between Pawson’s photographs and his architecture. This being a respect for materials, how they interact with light and their effect on the senses.  

The Art of Designing a Gallery

Caitlin Leishman, Lyon 2018

Architecture gives context to the values held during a particular time, in a certain place. A little like art. Even more so, a gallery’s design acts as a precursor, setting the tone for the art inside. 

The Guggenheim’s revival of Bilbao

The ‘Bilbao Effect’ is a phrase that describes this building’s role in reviving the economic state of the northern Spanish city. Its startling design has encouraged the tourism required to drag Bilbao up from a worn and torn shipping port to the intriguing destination that it is today.  

Built in 1997, the Guggenheim Bilbao was designed by Frank Gehry. The building is appropriately placed in some ways, a combination of curves and industrial materials like titanium, which pairs with the urban setting. In other ways it sticks out blatantly like a spikey, sparkly echidna with its bristles up. Jagged edges and odd angles create a protective shell for the art inside while unapologetically demanding attention. The gift is in this contrast. The titanium may glitter brightly or on a different day, with different weather conditions, it reflects clouds and the ripples of the La Salve river, complimenting its environment. 

The interior is far from the white cube, rather there are many different types of spaces to be used purposefully for art, the light and shadows cast by the building are little works of their own. The Guggenheim Bilbao balances hard surfaces with reflective properties softening the overall effect. The materials used in the Guggenheim Bilbao nod to the distressed shipping port that the site once was while the design speaks to the city’s revival.

IK Lab’s Connection to Nature

Nestled into the Mayan Jungle in Tulum Mexico sits IK lab, which opened in 2018. The Gallery was initiated by Santiago Romney Guggenheim (the great grandson of Peggy). Futuristic and primitive all at once, this gallery was designed by Jorge Eduardo Neira Sterkel in collaboration with Guggenheim as an addition to Sterkel’s eco-friendly luxury resort. The building flows with concrete and wood surfaces incorporating tree branches and vines throughout. Hobbit like holes form a visitor’s view from inside the gallery out into the jungle. Walls and windows are decorated with wood and twigs in elaborate patterns like natural stain glass windows. The gallery’s respect for nature is not only demonstrated by the materials used in the build but also by factors such as the gallery being on stilts, as this design decision accommodates flora and fauna to go about their daily pursuits below undisturbed.  In addition, no trees were removed in the construction of this gallery. Where the visitor is concerned, a shoe’s off policy delivers a heightened connection between visitor and the values of the gallery – connection to nature. The kind of art displayed is precise, working with the space rather than overwhelming it. Situated high in the treetops, the gallery lends a sense of clarity.  

The power…of art and heritage at the Tate Modern

The Tate Modern used to be London’s Bankside power station and was renovated by Herzog & De Meuron in the 90s with Michael Casey as the project architect. Dark urbanism is styled into the geometric shapes within the massing of the spaces.  Although it provides adequate space for incredibly large installations there is subtle respect to the building’s heritage as the scale points to the size of the generators and oil tanks that it once held, the Turbine Hall’s dramatic entrance is one example. A modern touch, the ceiling light box, opens up the space for viewing art. The Tate’s structure hints at the power of art and the endurance of heritage.

Consuming Art

Jeppe Hein, at National Gallery of Victoria, 2018

The evolution of the way we consume Art

The way that art is consumed changes constantly. From social media, where art is viewed through someone else’s lens, to street art where unassuming bystanders become an audience. But these are only a couple of ways to consider the changing consumption of art. 

How would you like to see the consumption of art evolve? We asked for the opinion of those across the industry...

Marion Borgelt - Marion is a contemporary Australian artist who has practiced in Sydney, Paris and New York.

My first reaction is to question the word ‘consumption’ because it brings to mind the act of ‘using up ’of utilisation, expenditure, depletion, exhaustion, wasting, squandering, draining, dissipating… I would rather use the words ‘enjoyment and ownership’, which bring to mind something positive and that in turn leads to the idea that enjoyment and ownership of art can enrich people’s lives. 

Artist-run initiatives play an important role in building a community and often form a bridge between the artists’ studios and established, professionally run galleries. They are an excellent starting point for artists to connect with their peers and equally play a significant role in bringing artists’ work to a broader audience. 

However, art is an expression of the times, whether it’s about the social and political conundrums of our world today, or the more personal statements that fill our heads daily. Unfortunately, the purchasing of art is based on discretionary spending and because it is not considered an absolute necessity to our well-being it is frequently the last item that is purchased, if at all. I would like to see our values towards art change so that it becomes a bigger priority in people’s daily lives. We, who are already in the art milieu know the value of art in our lives but what about everyone else—where do they get their poetry and existential ‘kicks’ from?

 Della Butler- Studio Coordinator, Gozer Media

Della worked at Sutton Gallery in Melbourne while also developing her own style of artistic practice, before joining Gozer Media.

 I believe that art should continue to shift and change with society’s growth. It is important that it engages with, questions and reacts to current issues. 

Hayley Haynes - No Vacancy Gallery

Hayley is the Gallery Manager at No Vacancy Gallery, a Melbourne-based contemporary hire-gallery which links artist-run initiatives and the commercial art world. 

I would love to see the consumption of art simply slow down. Whilst it is wonderful how much access we now have to the art world online, I would really love to see people spend more time with art in person. Let the gallery be a place of escape where time stops. 

With this being said, I would love to see more people feel less intimidated by art spaces. This is not a new challenge, but it is one that persists. We really try to make No Vacancy a very comfortable space and having the cafe attached certainly helps us bring art to those who might not normally enter a gallery. I think due to the challenging nature of a lot of contemporary art, people often feel that they need a degree in art theory to legitimize their presence in an art space. I want people to feel that it is OK to not understand everything, and furthermore to allow themselves the opportunity (through taking the time) to perhaps take something away from the works on show - to bring their own meaning. 

It would appear then that the way art is consumed, person to person, depends on how much the individual values art against other necessities in their lives.  Whether they feel art has the ability to inform them or bring enjoyment. The level of importance that an individual places on art then informs how that person will choose to consume it, and therefore how much they allow art to enrich their lives. 

The Lunch Hour

Caitlin Leishman

Quite a lot can be gleaned about a person from the way they spend their lunch hour. For example, are you: 

a.     That member of the work family, chomping at the bit for the baked goods offered up by the full-time manager/part-time baker of the group?

b.     A victim of the lunchtime meeting who cannot help but spend longer than needed waiting in the trendy coffee line along with an equally guilty colleague?

c.      Someone who catches themself looking down at their keyboard wondering how long the bits of brown rice and quinoa have been stuck in it? 

Me? I try to cram as many errands as possible into a lunch hour. This generally ends up with a long line at Priceline, prescription in one hand, and sushi roll in the other getting frustrated by my inability to multitask any further. So I scroll Instagram to pacify myself. What does this say about me? Don’t worry I’m working on it…    

After a brief, though perhaps not so scientifically reliable, Google search I can tell you that there is a lunch hour alternative that could contribute to a more productive afternoon. The answer is your local artist run initiative (ARI) or gallery. A few CBD suggestions include:

NO VACANCY:  34-40 BELL LANE MELBOURNE, QV BUILDING

No Vacancy blurs the lines of an ARI and a commercial gallery. It’s a welcoming and experimental space like an ARI but it is also a great spot to purchase art from local artists. The space itself is hired for functions and artist talks or book launches and is adjoined to its own espresso bar. Although in the heart of the CBD, the industrial interior of exposed piping and concrete walls provide an escape from the surrounding office environments. The nature of the building has even been known to influence artists exhibiting, altering their exhibition to make the most of the industrial elements. 

WESTSPACE: LEVEL 1/225 BOURKE ST

Getting into Westspace has you stomping up past a lawyers’ office and onto a second staircase. If the retro tiling and OH&S approved stair labels, reminiscent of a high school change room, are concerning you then you’re heading in the right direction. The walk is worth it. Westspace began as an ARI in 1993 but is now more of a blend between a not-for-profit experimental ARI space and a contemporary gallery. With four varying but large gallery areas weaving into each other it lends itself well to group shows and public talks and programs. 

NEON PARC: 1/53 BOURKE ST 

Situated down an alleyway by a Wilson’s parking complex, the entrance to Neon Parc is generally obscured by a vehicle so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled for signage. It is an intimate two-room space, which differs from the much larger renovated factory of Neon Parc’s other location in Brunswick.  

So, to avoid morphing into a figure from John Brack’s Collins St 5pm, I can suggest a daily dose of art. Just 10 minutes in an ARI or gallery, or a stroll down a lane full of street art is a distraction from the everyday grind – even if it is just on the way back from getting your sushi rolls to eat over your keyboard.