NGA_AR_13-14

all over Australia and injected an estimated
$33.5 million into the local economy.
The Gallery’s collections of works by two
international artists were highlighted in William
Kentridge: drawn from Africa and Roy Lichtenstein:
Pop remix, the latter of which returned from a
highly successful national tour. Garden of the East:
photography in Indonesia 1850s–1940s promoted
awareness of the Gallery’s extensive heritage
archive of photographs from Indonesia, while
Bali: island of the gods celebrated the vibrant art
of the popular Indonesian tourist destination Bali.
Light moves: contemporary Australian video art was
an exhibition drawn from the collection, including
recent acquisitions of video art by important
Australian artists.
Atua: sacred gods from Polynesia opened in May
and included major Polynesian works from the
collections of museums and galleries worldwide,
including the Gallery’s. The exhibition continued
the Gallery’s commitment to showing the arts of
the Pacific.
Creating worlds and Toyshop were this year’s
exhibitions for children. Creating worlds explored
artists’ responses to issues of sustainability, the
natural environment and the interconnectedness
of ecological systems, while Toyshop included
some works from the Gallery’s important but
little‐known collection of toys. Both exhibitions
included specially designed elements to engage
children and their families in the art.
Details on exhibitions and new displays in 2013–14
are in Appendix 3.
Travelling exhibitions
The Gallery’s travelling exhibitions program
continues to be an important part of our strategy
of providing access to works of art to a wide
audience beyond Canberra—in regional, remote
and metropolitan areas throughout Australia and
internationally.
Through the program, the Gallery is also able to
foster professional exchange between venues and
arts professionals on issues such as preventive
conservation, registration and exhibition planning,
display and promotion. The travelling exhibitions
program plays a valuable role in enhancing
the Gallery’s profile in regional centres and in
establishing and strengthening national networks.
Nine travelling exhibitions, including
The Elaine and Jim Wolfensohn Gift suitcase
kits and The 1888 Melbourne Cup, travelled
to thirty‐four venues regional, remote and
metropolitan communities throughout Australia
and overseas. The Wolfensohn Gift suitcase kits
continue to travel to schools and community
groups throughout Australia and incorporate
remote-access and disability-access components.
Two additional suitcase kits are in development.
From the time the travelling exhibitions program
commenced in February 1988 to June 2014,
9 620 277 people have visited 123 travelling
exhibitions at 750 locations other than the Gallery
in Canberra, including 690 592 visitors who have
viewed the Wolfensohn Gift suitcase kits, which
have toured 777 schools and community groups
since 1990.
During the year, visitors to the Gallery’s travelling
exhibitions totalled 428 733.
Details on travelling exhibitions in 2013–14 are
included in Appendix 3.
Works of art on loan
The Gallery continued to have a very active
program of lending works of art from the national
art collection and did this through the provision
of works to travelling exhibitions and to exhibition
by others and through the loan of works to
official residences.
The Gallery loaned 1395 works of art from the
national art collection, continuing the significant
rise in requests in this area of collection
management in recent years.
Details on outward loans are included in
Appendix 9. Details of inward loans are included
in Appendix 10.
Collection Study Room
Works of art in the national art collection that are
not currently on display are available for viewing
in the Collection Study Room. In 2013–14, 1108
visitors viewed 7839 works of art in the Collection
Study Room. Visitors included artists, academics,
NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2013–14 47