2004 - Australian Culture Now at the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square and ACMI.

An exhibition that unfortunately is here today and forgotten tomorrow.
Why does it feel that I've seen more cohesion in the floor display at Target than this exhibition's hang – what evidence is there of curatorial direction? This is not to say that the works themselves are poor or disappointing, but the exhibition as an entity lacks energy and vitality. The criteria for works is a build date between 2002 to 2004 which in itself is not a plan for a cohesive display. Perhaps a showcase is a better term than exhibition. It is a difficult model for an institutional exhibition – new art works scattered across walls, floors and in dark rooms need to work together and generate atmosphere.

Many of the works in the NGV component just looked lonely. The lovely work by John Wolseley is neutralised in its exhibited space and context. Some of the highlights, for there are some, must include the angry works by artists such as Vernon Ah Kee and Richard Bell, the very striking work by Scott Redford Boy with Surfboard Cross. Other interesting works included the poignant Billy Benn Perrurle landscapes and the very striking group of paintings by the Bidyadanga artists. James Lynch's animation was eye catching – he worked with an interesting staccato tempo and very stylish hand drawn figures. The exquisite ceramic pieces by Robin Best and collaborators have a stature and presence far greater than their small cabinet and alone are worth seeing.

The ACMI component seemed far more energetic and coherent, following what I took to be a theme investigating surface and space, crossing over to appearance and power. The highlights for me would include the panoramic views by Peter Murphy, or Empyre's soft_skinned_space and the quite haunting installation behind the mountain with the cast from the Bangarra Dance Theatre by Darren Dale. I don't know whether the work MEART is a ring-in, or what it purports to be doing in an exhibition – the public needs more information to understand it. The web based exhibits upstairs are great – more because they are hands-on and point to an emerging trend in community based art.

I wonder how much public money this exhibition took – not so much for freight and associated logistics but for curators, consultants and marketing. I don't think this exhibition as an experience contained nearly as much energy as Ricky Swallow's piece Killing Time, exhibited at Gertrude Street Artist Spaces earlier this year. In fact, many of the exhibitions at Gertrude Street would be superior on many counts including cohesiveness, and accessibility.

So, let's ask the question: What is the purpose of this exhibition? Maybe there is one. Forget turning to the catalogue for help – the essays, while undoubtedly interesting and in some instances written with a sense of humour, failed to bring to light a substantial critical platform for this exhibition. The round table transcript sounded pompous and out of touch with the knowledge base of many visitors. Perhaps, 2004 can be justified as a showcase but in that case we would benefit from knowing a little more about the selection criteria.

Any exhibition of contemporary art hosted by an institution like the NGV is worth seeing but this exhibition will hardly prove to be memorable. Visit the local galleries over the next few months to get a better feel for the energy and vitality that many of these artists posess.

Reviewed by Martin Shub