Nan Goldin: The Ballad Of Sexual Dependancy

Image: © Nan Goldin

The Art Gallery of Ballarat is excited to present Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency on loan from the National Gallery of Australian (NGA).

Opening on 2 March, the exhibition will make its Victorian debut in Ballarat as part of PHOTO 2024 a statewide international photo festival. Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is a highly anticipated exhibition.

Nan Goldin is an American artist whose work explores subcultures, moments of intimacy, the impacts of the HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics on her communities, and photography as a tool for social activism. Goldin’s work is always born out of her own experience, and her deeply personal and candid portraiture acts as a visual autobiography. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency began life as a slide show and was published as a now-iconic book in 1986 that established Goldin as a major contemporary artist.

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December

Melbourne: Until 31 January. Prepare to be transported into the picturesque world of Accidentally Wes Anderson: The Exhibition—an Instagram sensation and New York Times best-selling book brought to life!

Sydney: 5 December – 1 February. Photofields presents the Southern Sky Astrophotography 2024 exhibition, the 20th edition of the David Malin Awards.

Melbourne: until 16 Feb 2025. Petrina Hicks works with photography to create large-scale photographs that draw from mythology, fables, and historical art imagery to reframe the contemporary female experience.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

January

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Perth: Until 18 May 2025. Henry Roy – Impossible Island draws on 40-years of recollections and observations as it brings together 113 photos taken from 1983 to 2023.

Sydney: The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

Sydney: Until 1 February. Species is a thrilling synthesis of Parke’s exceptional skill and aesthetic sensibilities. Masters of Australian Photography is an exhibition of 20 iconic artworks by Australia’s most celebrated 20th-century photographers.

February

Sydney: One-off event. In an hour-long talk at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney-based photographer Tony Maniaty will be exploring 12 iconic images - by Robert Doisneau, Henri-Cartier Bresson and others - that have shaped our view of Paris, via the streets and cafes, society and high fashion, the cultural scene.

April

Organised by the Art Gallery Society of NSW, join an eight-day study tour in April exploring ‘photography as art’ in the City of Light: with private visits to galleries, discussions with leading photography curators and more!