MARS Melbourne Art Rooms facts for kids
[MARS] Melbourne Art Rooms is a modern art gallery in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's a place where you can see and buy new art from Australian and international artists. MARS helps these artists show their work and grow their careers.
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History of MARS Gallery
[MARS] was started in 2004 by a gallery owner named Andy Dinan. She turned an old dairy building in Port Melbourne into a cool two-level art space. In 2014, MARS moved to a brand new building in Windsor.
The gallery focuses on showing and promoting art by modern Australian artists. MARS also takes part in big art events called art fairs. They attend fairs in Australia, like the Melbourne Art Fair, and also in other countries, such as Photo London and Art Central Hong Kong.
The Gallery Building
The MARS gallery building was designed by JAM Architects with help from Andy Dinan. It has three levels and is made to show many different types of art.
Inside, you'll find four special exhibition areas:
- A black-box gallery for showing video art.
- A light-box room for art made with light and sound.
- A drawing room for artworks on paper.
- A rooftop sculpture garden where you can see sculptures outdoors. There's even an elevator with a cool light artwork inside it by artist Jason Sims!
Artists at MARS
MARS represents many talented artists, from those just starting out to more experienced ones. They help these artists share their unique creations with the world. Some of the artists MARS works with include Daniel Agdag, Atong Atem, Penelope Davis, Stephen Haley, and Kenny Pittock.
Art in Public Places
Besides showing art in the gallery, [MARS] also helps put art in public spaces around Melbourne. This is called public art. Andy Dinan's team, called ADA Consulting, works with artists, builders, and local councils to make this happen.
They help create inspiring art for everyone to enjoy in different communities. Some recent public art projects include artworks for train stations and new buildings. You can see art curated by ADA Consulting in places like Albert Park, Collingwood, and Footscray.
International Art Fairs
MARS Gallery travels the world to show art at big international art fairs. These events are a great way for artists to share their work with a global audience.
MARS has participated in fairs like:
- Photo London (in 2023)
- Photo Basel (in 2022)
- Art Central Hong Kong (from 2017 to 2019)
- Art Fair Tokyo (in 2016)
They also regularly attend Australian art fairs such as Sydney Contemporary and Melbourne Art Fair.
