It’s been 35 years since the Guerrilla Girls asked whether women have to be naked to get into the Met. While women are still underrepresented in the art world, the Art Gallery of South Australia’s (AGSA) blockbuster exhibition for 2025 is righting that wrong with a major new exhibition.
In collaboration with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940 will run from May 24 until September 7. The exhibition focuses on the work of 50 female artists who travelled from Australia to Europe to further their careers between 1890 and 1940.
“Visitors to AGSA will experience the works of artists who push boundaries and challenge assumptions,” Emma Fey, acting director of AGSA, said in a statement. “[These are] women who defied social conventions at the turn of the 20th century to produce artworks of global significance.”
The exhibition will feature more than 200 works – including paintings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics – and explore the careers of these remarkable women and their impact on the local art scene. After its run in Adelaide, the show will move to Sydney.
In addition to Dangerously Modern, the 10th anniversary of Tarnanthi will come to AGSA next year, celebrating a decade of exhibitions and art fairs. The anniversary show will feature outstanding works from previous exhibitions, artist talks, performances and workshops. The Tarnanthi Art Fair will also return in person and online to give collectors the chance to ethically buy First Nations art.
The Ramsay Art Prize returns in 2025, too. The prize isn't specific to any individual medium, and any artist under 40 can submit a piece for a chance to win a $100,000 prize. (Entries close on December 13, 2024.) Works from finalists will be exhibited at AGSA and the winning piece will be acquired by the gallery. Tapped into the pulse of contemporary Australian practice, previous Ramsay winners include Ida Sophia, Kate Bohunnis, Vincent Namatjira and Sarah Contos.
Head here to see which exhibitions are currently on in Adelaide.
