As seen in Nadine Christensen‘s current survey exhibition, the artist finds it generative to her arts practice to walk around her neighbourhood: from home to studio, to work and back again; gleaning the incidental and overlooked from her immediate environment. Embrace her practice of perpetual motion and take this self-guided walking tour to explore the Melbourne Arts Precinct in Southbank and discover the arts venues near Buxton Contemporary.
VCA ARTSPACE
From Buxton Contemporary turn left and walk along Dodds Street. At number 38 you’ll find this dedicated University of Melbourne student exhibition space, where participants are encouraged to test ideas and present their work in a supported peer environment. For information on current exhibitions please visit the @vcaartspace instagram account.
Address: 38 Dodds St, Southbank VIC 3006
Open hours: Wednesday – Friday, 12–5 pm
FIONA AND SIDNEY MYER GALLERY
Continue a little further down Dodds street to highly influential curatorial art space, the Fiona and Sidney Myer Gallery (formerly the Margaret Lawrence Gallery).
With a diverse program focusing on the curatorship of new work by local, national and international artists, the Gallery encourages meaningful connections and exchanges between artists, academics, students and the wider public.
Address: 874/40 Dodds St, Southbank VIC 3006
Open hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–5 pm
ACCA
Walk south for 3 more minutes along Dodds Street to arrive at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA). This leading contemporary art gallery can be recognised by its distinctive rust-red building designed by Wood Marsh.
ACCA develops exhibitions exploring the ideas and work of significant artists from around the world, commissions ambitious new works by local and international artists, and delivers a range of curatorial, education, and public programs.
Now Showing: From the other side, Until 3 Mar 2024
Address: 111 Sturt St, Southbank VIC 3006
Open hours: Tue–Fri 10am–5 pm, Sat & Sun 11am–5 pm. Free tours on Sundays.
MALTHOUSE THEATRE
Just next door to ACCA is the Malthouse Theatre, a contemporary performing arts space, located in a renovated former brewery.
Presenting entertaining and thought-provoking theatre over three spaces, the theatre champions artistic and cultural diversity, cultivating Australian talent and curating inventive theatrical experiences from around the globe.
Address: 113 Sturt St, Southbank VIC 3006
Box Office hours: subject to change
MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE
Head north along Sturt Street and keep an eye out for the striking honeycomb exterior of the Melbourne Recital Centre. The building combines cutting-edge architecture and stage technology with state-of-the-art acoustics. With a unique focus on music, it presents and hosts hundreds of concerts each year. The Recital Centre houses the 1000-seat Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, the 130-seat Salon, broadcast and recording facilities, rehearsal rooms and public spaces.
Address: 31 Sturt St, Southbank VIC 3006
Box Office hours: Monday – Friday, 11am–5pm, staying open for ticketed events on weeknights
MELBOURNE THEATRE COMPANY: SOUTHBANK THEATRE
Adjacent to the Melbourne Recital Centre on Southbank Boulevard, is the Southbank Theatre. Featuring a striking geometric design, this is the headquarters and performance space of the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), Australia’s oldest professional theatre company.
Up to 12 productions are staged here each year by the MTC, but the theatre has also featured productions from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Australian Dance Theatre and Sydney Dance Company.
Address: 140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank VIC 3006
Box Office hours: Monday – Friday, 12–6pm and two hours prior to each performance
NGV INTERNATIONAL
Continue past Buxton Contemporary to St Kilda Road, where NGV International is located on the corner. This iconic building (you’ll know it when you find the water wall pictured), houses a whole world of international art, displaying the National Gallery of Victoria’s collections of European, Asian, Oceanic and American art. The gallery has been totally redesigned to house one of the most impressive collections in the Southern Hemisphere.
Address: 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3006
Open hours: Monday – Friday, 10am–5pm
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
Beside NGV International is Arts Centre Melbourne (ACM) – a complex of performing arts venues recognisable by the spire. ACM is a leading venue for world-class theatre, dance, music and more.
In the Theatres Building are three separate theatres – the State Theatre, which hosts performances by Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet, the Playhouse and the intimate Fairfax Studio. Hamer Hall is a premier venue for musical performances, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Address: 100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank VIC 3004
Open hours: Mon – Fri 7am–7pm, Sat 8:30am–7:00pm, Sun 10am– 5pm
