From steam-powered ‘horseless carriages’ and the classic Aussie ute to muscle cars, racy V8s and dazzling concept vehicles, Australia has a rich legacy of innovative car design. In a first for an Australian art gallery, the National Gallery of Victoria will celebrate this history with an exhibition of cars from 6 March 2015 with Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car.
Shifting Gear will display 23 of Australia’s most iconic vehicles alongside ephemera including photographs, models, sketches, illustrations and archival materials, exploring this country’s important and proud history of automobile design and engineering. The exhibition will also look to the future of the Australian automobile industry and its shift from manufacturing to being a global contributor through specialist design knowledge.
Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV, said, ‘Shifting Gear will be the first major exhibition of Australian car design and is exclusive to the NGV. As part of the NGV’s commitment to showcasing design, this exhibition will uncover how the modern automobile is far more than simply a means of transport; it is a sophisticated design object that reflects contemporary aesthetics and social values.’
Through a vibrant exhibition display Shifting Gear will present the stories behind the development of some of the great Australian vehicles and reveal the designers who styled them.
Shifting Gear guest curator Harriet Edquist, Director of the RMIT Design Archives, commented that Australia has an astonishingly vibrant history of ingenious car designs.
‘The exhibition shows the diversity and ingenuity of Australian automobile design in the variety of cars it has brought together – not only the family car but also racing cars and sports cars, high-performance production cars and concept vehicles never intended for production, demonstrating Australia’s significant past and future role in research and development,’ said Professor Edquist.
From steam-powered ‘horseless carriages’ and the classic Aussie ute to muscle cars, racy V8s and dazzling concept vehicles, Australia has a rich legacy of innovative car design. In a first for an Australian art gallery, the National Gallery of Victoria will celebrate this history with an exhibition of cars from 6 March 2015 with Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car.
Shifting Gear will display 23 of Australia’s most iconic vehicles alongside ephemera including photographs, models, sketches, illustrations and archival materials, exploring this country’s important and proud history of automobile design and engineering. The exhibition will also look to the future of the Australian automobile industry and its shift from manufacturing to being a global contributor through specialist design knowledge.
Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV, said, ‘Shifting Gear will be the first major exhibition of Australian car design and is exclusive to the NGV. As part of the NGV’s commitment to showcasing design, this exhibition will uncover how the modern automobile is far more than simply a means of transport; it is a sophisticated design object that reflects contemporary aesthetics and social values.’
Through a vibrant exhibition display Shifting Gear will present the stories behind the development of some of the great Australian vehicles and reveal the designers who styled them.
Shifting Gear guest curator Harriet Edquist, Director of the RMIT Design Archives, commented that Australia has an astonishingly vibrant history of ingenious car designs.
‘The exhibition shows the diversity and ingenuity of Australian automobile design in the variety of cars it has brought together – not only the family car but also racing cars and sports cars, high-performance production cars and concept vehicles never intended for production, demonstrating Australia’s significant past and future role in research and development,’ said Professor Edquist.
Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car
