National Gallery of Australia, Art museum at Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, Australia.
The National Gallery of Australia is a Brutalist building of raw, unrendered concrete designed by Colin Madigan, with angular forms and a triangular geometry visible in its stair towers and columns. It stands beside Lake Burley Griffin, surrounded by sculpture gardens of Australian native plants. Inside, its 23,000 m² are arranged over three levels: large galleries for Aboriginal and international art on the main floor, Asian collections below, and smaller rooms for Australian art on the top level.
The museum opened in 1982 and represents an experimental approach to Brutalist architecture. The building marked an important moment in Australia's efforts to establish a national art institution.
The collection of works from Australia and the South Pacific reflects the stories and perspectives of these regions. Visitors can see how different artistic traditions exist alongside one another throughout the building.
Access to the main collection is free and the museum opens daily from 10 AM. Special exhibitions take place throughout the year and require separate admission.
The gallery holds Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles, bought in 1973 for $1.3 million, then a record price for a living American artist and a purchase that caused public debate in Australia. Its Sidney Nolan collection includes the 1946-47 Ned Kelly series, painted at Heide, the Melbourne home of patrons John and Sunday Reed.
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