A major exhibition celebrating five decades of artistic excellence and cultural significance has opened today at the Griffith University Art Museum.
Showcasing more than 190 works that trace the evolution of Australian artistic practice, Collecting the Future: 50 Years of the Griffith University Art Collection will immerse visitors in a display of early video art, political posters, contemporary Australian Indigenous art, photography, painting and sculpture.
Curated by Lizzie Riek, herself a Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD) alumnus, Collecting the Future traces the changing social and cultural contexts within which the University and the Art Collection have operated since their foundation in the 1970s.
It features works by some of Australia's most influential artists and outstanding Griffith University alumni including Vernon Ah Kee, Davida Allen, Christopher Bassi, James Barth, Gordon Bennett, Cressida Campbell and Michael Zavros.
It also features a powerful 2017 self-portrait by 2025 Archibald Prize winner and QCAD alumnus and staff member Associate Professor Julie Fragar.
Griffith University Art Museum Director Angela Goddard said the exhibition had been curated to highlight the pioneering works of an array of inspirational artists.
"It's a spectacular salon hang of works from our extensive collection," she said.
"From the very beginning, the Collection has looked to the future, nurturing artistic innovation and emerging practices through the acquisition of early career works by alumni, many of whom have gone on to achieve national and international recognition.
"Today, it is a legacy for future generations of students and artists and an important record of Australia's artistic history."
Collecting the Future also highlights the crucial role donors have played over the past five decades in building this nationally significant collection and enhancing its cultural impact.
The exhibition runs from 29 May to 16 August 2025 at 226 Grey St, South Brisbane.
