Ian Potter Centre, Art museum in Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia.
The Ian Potter Centre is an art museum in Federation Square, in the heart of Melbourne, dedicated entirely to Australian art. It occupies several floors and holds paintings, sculptures, photographs, and decorative objects from different periods of Australian art history.
The museum opened in 2002 as part of the National Gallery of Victoria, creating for the first time a space devoted solely to Australian art. It was made possible in large part by a major donation from businessman and philanthropist Ian Potter, after whom it is named.
The collection gives a lot of space to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, shown alongside works by other Australian artists. Visitors can see how these traditions have influenced the broader direction of Australian art over time.
Entry to the museum is free, which makes it easy to visit for any amount of time without planning ahead. The galleries are spread across several floors, so picking up a map near the entrance helps you decide where to start.
The building was designed by Italian architect Mario Bellini, who used zinc panels and sandstone on the facade to connect it visually to the rest of Federation Square. This material choice was intentional and is something visitors often notice without knowing its origin.
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