Australian Centre for Contemporary Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1983 |
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| Location | 111 Sturt Street, Southbank, Victoria, Australia |
| Type | Contemporary art museum |
The Australian Centre For Contemporary Art (ACCA) is a cool art gallery in Melbourne, Australia. It's a place where you can see contemporary art, which means art made in our time. ACCA is located on Sturt Street in Southbank, a part of Melbourne known for its arts. The building was designed by Wood Marsh Architects and finished in 2002. It also has spaces for the Chunky Move dance company and the Malthouse Theatre.
Myles Russell-Cook became the Artistic Director and CEO of ACCA in 2024.
Contents
ACCA's History
ACCA first opened its doors in 1983. It moved into its amazing current building in 2002.
Leadership at ACCA
In December 2015, Max Delany became the Artistic Director of ACCA. He had been a senior curator at the National Gallery of Victoria before this. He started his role as Artistic Director and CEO in February 2016.
In November 2024, Myles Russell-Cook was chosen as the new CEO and Artistic Director. He took over from Max Delany. Before joining ACCA, Myles Russell-Cook was a Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Victoria. He focused on Australian and First Nations Art.
Building Design and Art
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The ACCA building was designed by Wood Marsh architects. It was finished in 2002. The building has four large gallery spaces for art. ACCA and the Malthouse Theatre share a courtyard. This outdoor space is used for performances and art shows.
The building also has two rehearsal studios for the Chunky Move dance company. There is also a large area for building sets for the Malthouse Theatre.
Unique Building Features
The outside of the building is made of special rusty steel. It has very few windows. This helps to create a flexible space inside for different types of art. The inside has shiny metal and glass surfaces. The design is like a "Kunsthalle" from Europe. A Kunsthalle is a flexible building for showing art.
In 2003, the building won an award for its design. It was called the RAIA Institutional Architecture Award.
The Yellow Sculpture
After the building was finished, a famous sculpture was moved to ACCA's front area. This sculpture is called Vault. It is an abstract sculpture made of large, flat pieces of steel. It was created by Ron Robertson-Swann.
Many people know it as "The Yellow Peril." This nickname came from its bright yellow color and modern shape. It also caused some debate in newspapers when it was first placed.
What ACCA Does
ACCA's main goal is to "Do Art Differently." This means they want to challenge people, connect with them, and make a big impact.
Myles Russell-Cook is the Artistic Director and CEO of ACCA. Claire Richardson is the Executive Director. John Denton is the head of the board. He was also the first state architect for the Victorian Government.
ACCA is part of a group called Contemporary Art Organisations Australia. This group helps support art organizations.
Exciting Exhibitions
In its first ten years, ACCA asked over 200 artists to create new works. These artists were from Australia and other countries. Every year, ACCA asks six or seven new Australian artists to create art for shows.
Some famous Australian artists who have shown their work at ACCA include Pat Brassington and Patricia Piccinini. International artists like Martin Creed and Barbara Kruger have also been featured. ACCA also puts on shows about specific themes. They also show public art, like the Big Wall project.
Past Exhibitions
From December 2017 to March 2018, ACCA held a show called Unfinished Business: Perspectives on Art and Feminism. This exhibition looked at important art by women artists. It included new works by 40 artists. Some of these artists were Ali Gumillya Baker, Atong Atem, and Vivienne Binns.
In 2022, ACCA had a big show of works by Paul Yore. It was called WORD MADE FLESH. This exhibition showed 15 years of his art.
Learning Through Lectures
In 2019, ACCA started a two-year lecture series. It was called Defining Moments: Australian Exhibition Histories 1968–1999. This series looked closely at important art shows in Australia from 1968 to 1999. It explored how these shows changed art history and Australian culture.
In 2020, Mikala Tai gave a talk about Gallery 4A. She was a former director of the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. Peter Cripps, an artist and former director of the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane, also gave a talk. He spoke about an exhibition from 1985 called Recession art and other strategies.
