Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales traces its origins back to 1871 with the establishment of the Academy of Art, which held its first exhibitions in the Sydney Chamber of Commerce. By 1885, the collection moved to its permanent home in The Domain, housed in a modest building designed by John Horbury Hunt. This early period was marked by a growing commitment to fostering a local art scene, setting the stage for what would become one of Australia's premier cultural institutions. Throughout the early 20th century, the gallery underwent significant architectural transformations, most notably the construction of the grand neoclassical facade designed by Walter Liberty Vernon. This period saw the gallery become the prestigious home of the Archibald Prize, Australia's most famous portraiture competition, starting in 1921. As the collection grew to include significant European masters and a pioneering department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, the institution solidified its role as a bridge between Australian heritage and global artistic movements. In December 2022, the gallery entered its most ambitious era yet with the opening of the Sydney Modern Project. Designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architects SANAA, this new North Building nearly doubled the gallery's exhibition space and introduced a seamless integration with the surrounding landscape. By blending the historic 19th-century sandstone structure with light-filled, sustainable modern architecture, the gallery now stands as a world-class destination that champions contemporary voices alongside traditional narratives.