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Melbourne Gets a Triennial

The National Gallery of Victoria will host its first triennial in December, starring the likes of Yayoi Kusama and Guo Pei.

This December, all four levels of the National Gallery of Victoria will dedicate themselves to cutting edge contemporary art from around the world. The gallery has announced the lineup for its first ever NGV Triennial, featuring 78 artists from 32 countries. It might not rival the Sydney biennale just yet, but there are early signs that the free exhibition will be a showstopping affair.

A highlight from the lineup announcement is everyone's favourite Yayoi Kusama, who will create a new installation called Flower Obsession. Similar to her Obliteration Room, which toured Australia in 2011, it will call on visitors to place flower-based stickers where they please in an otherwise bland, furnished space. Over time, the colourful flowers will build to create a mesmerising layered effect.

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Fans of Rihanna's majestic Met Ball gown from 2015 may be familiar with the work of lauded Chinese couturier Guo Pei, whose lavish garments will be displayed for visitors to ogle over. France's Camille Henrot will bring her cartoonish bronze sculpture Contrology to the gallery, and South African video artist Candice Breitz mixes celebrity and politics to great effect in Love Story—an immersive installation that asks A-List actors to retell the personal narratives of refugees.

Still from Candice Breitz' "Love Story" (2016)

Irish documentary artist Richard Mosse will return to the NGV with Incoming, a video work that uses a thermal military camera to trace the journey of migrants fleeing Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Senegal and Somalia. Melburnians will recall his visceral The Enclave, a six channel video on stunningly pink infrared film that chronicled a three-year expedition through the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We're also looking forward to a monumental textile work by Argentinian artist Alexandra Kehayoglou, whose "carpet landscape" Santa Cruz River protests the environmental degradation of a delicate eco-system, and Einat Amier—the witty Iranian artist who will stage her Coming Soon Near to You in the NGV. The piece invites its audience to pick their favourite TV shows and watch them in the gallery space while curious observers look on.

Einat Amier's "Coming Soon Near to You" (2016)

Australia's art scene will represented by the likes of Ben Quilty, Ron Mueck, Reko Rennie, the Bula'bula Artists, and Louisa Bufardeci—the former two creating custom works for the occasion.

The best news? The Triennial is set to only grow in scope over time, and NGV will use much of the funds raised for the inaugural event to acquire new blockbuster contemporary works—with the view to build its already enviable permanent collection into something truly world class. "We believe that the ambition, depth and diversity of the artists and designers in the inaugural NGV Triennial will ensure our audience has a truly unforgettable cultural experience," NGV Director Tony Ellwood said.

"Through the building of the NGV's collection of contemporary art and design, we hope the NGV Triennial will become a critical and ongoing asset for Victoria."

The NGV Triennial will open on December 15, 2017 and continue until April 15. You can view the full artist line up here.

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