José is a curator and Director of UNSW Galleries, Sydney. He spends most days looking at art and thinking about exhibition-making.
See José’s selection of must-see museum exhibitions for this summer.
Archie Moore: kith and kin at the Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane
Australia’s Golden Lion-winning pavilion from the 2024 Venice Biennale, curated by Ellie Buttrose, has its triumphant homecoming. A work of immense scope in its mapping of human relations and responsibilities, it is, without question, one of the most defining works of contemporary Australian art. Complementing the exhibition is a terrific display from the QAGOMA Collection that focuses on the artistic gesture of mark-making in recording and sharing expressions of life.
Exhibition runs until 18 October
Meanjin | Brisbane
Thomas Demand: The Object Lesson at Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Don’t miss this exhibition, a masterclass in design and curatorial excellence, which runs until January 11, 2026. It features key international works from the Kaldor Collection, displayed in a specially created space by German artist Thomas Demand. The final week also features performances of musician and composer Jules Reidy’s work ‘Only Above’, made in response to the exhibition.
Exhibition runs until 11 January
Gadgial Land | Sydney
Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi at Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
This expansive exhibition recounts a decade of commissioning and acquiring significant works of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, and an absolute joy as an exhibition experience. Highlights include the extraordinary paintings of Nyaparu (William) Gardiner and Motorbike Paddy Ngal, alongside the unforgettable installation Kuḻaṯa Tjuṯa featuring 550 spears by artists from the APY Lands in the form of a nuclear explosion.
Exhibition runs until 18 January
Kaurna | Adelaide
John Nixon: Song of the Earth 1968–2020 at Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne
A remarkable survey of the late Australian artist that celebrates his unwavering commitment to experimentation and engagement with abstraction and radical modernism. Curated with care by the artist’s partner, Sue Cramer, this is a wonderfully spirited exhibition and a reminder of how fantastic it is to see an artist’s practice across time.
Exhibition runs until 9 March
Naarm | Melbourne
Yasmin Smith – Elemental Life at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
Curator Jane Devery continues to provide Sydney audiences with beautifully conceived and poetic exhibitions. This survey of Yasmin Smith is another one, celebrating the artist’s fascinating exploration of history, ecology and geology through ceramics, glazes and form.
Exhibition runs until 8 June
Gadigal Land | Sydney
