SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL ART SERIES For a fifth year, Sydney’s two most prominent galleries join forces to host concurrent exhibitions that will challenge, inspire and educate, as part of the Sydney International Art Series. A short stroll apart, the galleries are located at the heart of the city’s most interesting attractions and sights - make a day of it and experience the exhibitions as a double feature. Whether you are a foodie, fond of architecture or love getting back to nature, you’ll find a walking trail to suit as you wander from one gallery to the other. POP TO POPISM Art Gallery of NSW (1 Nov 2014 - 1 Mar 2015) The giants of pop art take over an entire floor of the Art Gallery of NSW with this colourful exhibition. Expect to be dazzled by over 200 works that trace the development of pop, from its origins to its legacy in Australia and abroad. Works by influential artists including Andy Warhol (don’t miss his Triple Elvis piece), Roy Lichtenstein and Richard Hamilton are complemented by contemporary pieces by Jeff Koons, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. Particularly exciting is the show’s focus on Australian artists, such as Brett Whiteley, Martin Sharp and Maria Kozic, and female artists, such as Marisol and Cindy Sherman. #popism #sydneygoespop CHUCK CLOSE: PRINTS, PROCESS AND COLLABORATION Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (20 Nov 2014 - 15 Mar 2015) The largest assemblage of influential American visual artist Chuck Close’s work ever presented in the Southern Hemisphere, this exhibition showcases a jaw dropping, 170piece collection of Close’s large-scale, photo-based portraits, plus the artist’s pioneering printmaking pieces. Known for replicating photographs into rendered, and unbelievably realistic images, Close—also a talented photographer—has produced portraits of the who’s who of the celebrity world over the years, including Brad Pitt, Lou Reed and Kate Moss. #ClosetoChuck
FOOD SAFARI Take your tastebuds on a trip to some of Sydney’s premier eateries as you walk between exhibitions.
SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL ART SERIES URBAN WALKABOUT
SUMMER 2014–2015
POP CAFE & POP PLAY Inside the Pop to popism exhibition are two exciting features: POP CAFE, with special food and drink offerings from the Gallery’s caterers MorSul, and POP PLAY, a family space with interactive art-making activities. CHISWICK AT THE GALLERY Matt Moran brings his love for contemporary Australian food to the Art Gallery of NSW. Matt and his team are offering special Pop to popism dining packages so you can tantalise your taste buds before the walk ahead. AGNSW, Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, Sydney
SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL ART PASS
BISTRO MINT Sydney CBD’s oldest public building and historic coining factory is home to this freshly minted café. The beautifully restored venue is a great place for brunch – find a perch on the patio and enjoy French-inspired fare (open Mon–Fri). 135 Bathurst St, Sydney
The Sydney International Art Series brings the world’s most outstanding exhibitions to Australia, exclusively to Sydney, every summer. The 2014–15 series will showcase two inspired exhibitions—Pop to popism at the Art Gallery of NSW and Chuck Close: Prints, Process and Collaboration at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA). Purchase a Sydney International Art Pass to see both exhibitions & save!
ADRIANO ZUMBO PATISSIER KIOSK The latest store from sweets genius Adriano Zumbo calls the Queen Victoria Building home. Treats such as macarons, tarts, cakes and pastries will add pep to your step as you head north towards Circular Quay. QVB, 455 George St, Sydney
TICKETS
MR.WONG It’s hugely popular for good reason – Mr. Wong not only dishes up spectacular mod-Chinese fare (including a new yum cha menu), but does so in a Shanghai-chic dining room. 3 Bridge St, Sydney
Adult $32 Concession/member/child $24 Family $80 FOR OPENING HOURS & MORE INFORMATION: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au www.mca.com.au FOR BOOKINGS: www.artpass.com.au
THE GLENMORE HOTEL The Glenmore offers sweeping city views. Drinks and meals are available over three floors, but it’s hard to look past the rooftop for an iconic Sydney view. 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks MCA CAFE Enjoy coffee and cake with uninterrupted views of the Sydney Opera House from the rooftop of the MCA – or enjoy a glass of wine on a Thursday evening after perusing the show. Relax over lunch at Graze MCA, the restaurant on the ground level, Circular Quay side. 140 George St, The Rocks
BACK TO NATURE Enjoy the great outdoors on this scenic trail from the Art Gallery of NSW to the MCA. CADI JAM ORA Enter Sydneys’ Royal Botanic Gardens at Woolloomooloo Gate (enter via Mrs Macquaries Rd) and stroll north to the Cadi Jam Ora: First Encounters Garden. The garden tells the story of the Cadigal people, the traditional owners of the land, featuring plants that originally grew on this site. PALM GROVE A reminder of the skill and foresight of Charles Moore, director of the gardens for 48 years, this grove is a haven for one of the world’s finest collections of palms. Several are grown from wild plants collected in the 1820s and 1850s. WISHING TREE A Norfolk Island Pine, this tree was planted in 1816 at the request of Mrs Macquarie, wife of Governor Macquarie. It was removed in 1945, replaced by the first Wollemi Pine ever to be planted. Remember to make a wish. VEIL OF TREES This installation by Janet Lawrence and Jisuk Han is designed to reflect the botanical history of the area. A meandering line of forest red gums features glass panels embedded with seeds, ash, honey, resin, and fragments of prose and poems by Australian writers. MRS MACQUARIES CHAIR An exposed sandstone rock carved into the shape of a bench in 1810 for Governor Macquarie’s wife, the chair is close to one of the most scenic lookouts in town. FARM COVE This is the site of the first farm in the country, established in 1788 by Governor Philip. The farm failed, but the area has been cultivated ever since, and lush lawns here are hugely popular for picnics. In addition to being home to giant koi, Farm Cove’s pond is great for bird watching. Here you’ll find the sacred ibis, sulphur-crested cockatoo, white-faced heron and rainbow lorikeet, among other species. AUSTRALIAN NATIVE ROCKERY Australian native plants steal the show at this rockery, where you’ll find waratahs, kangaroo paws, flannel flowers, gymea lilies, grevilleas and paper daisies. Exit from the Sydney Opera House Gate and stroll along Circular Quay to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. OBSERVATORY HILL It’s hard to top the million-dollar views enjoyed from this park – Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are the perfect backdrop for a picnic. WHAT’S ON:The Botanic Gardens are one of the most popular spots in Sydney to be for New Year’s Eve. Tickets must be purchased in advance and include a gourmet picnic hamper and entertainment.
DID YOU KNOW Sydney’s loftiest restaurant, 360 Bar and Dining, sits atop Sydney Tower. The space revolves and offers unbroken city vistas. The Royal Botanic Gardens once housed a zoo, open from 1862 until 1883. Sydney has close to 1,200 high-rise buildings.
BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS Appreciate iconic architecture on your way from A to B. ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES The Gallery is one of Sydney’s most distinctive buildings. Its classic façade and elegant old courts were designed by Walter Liberty Vernon and built in four stages between 1896 and 1909. Extensions have been completed over the years to add new exhibition space, with further extension plans currently underway to transform the Gallery. Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, Sydney HYDE PARK BARRACKS Convict architect Francis Greenway is behind these Georgian-style barracks, a brick building and compound constructed in 1818 to house convict men and boys. Today, it houses a museum dedicated to its early inhabitants. Queens Sq, Macquarie St, Sydney AURORA PLACE Renzo Piano, a virtuoso in the world of architecture, is behind these impressive apartment and office buildings. Aurora Place has a distinct sense of place: the curved and twisted shape of the east facade corresponds spatially with the Sydney Opera House. 88 Phillip St, Sydney 1 BLIGH STREET One of Australia’s cleverest and greenest projects, this tower breaks the mould of traditional office blocks: the internal space has been cored out, allowing continuous views across floors and flooding the internal spaces with light. 1 Bligh St, Sydney GPO SYDNEY This Neo-Classical sandstone building was designed by James Barnet and constructed from 1866 to 1891. Head downstairs – an exhibition of objects found during an archaeological dig at the site includes the original drainage system that channels the Tank Stream. 1 Martin Place, Sydney SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Danish architect Jorn Utzon is behind the design of the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House—he left the country in acrimonious circumstances before the building was finished, with later work being completed by other architects. It was officially opened in 1973 and has been an international icon ever since. Bennelong Point, Sydney MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART AUSTRALIA More than $53 million was injected into the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia makeover in 2012, which saw the original faux-1930s façade complemented by a stunning new wing. With extra space for exhibitions, the building hosts a new rooftop café and sculpture garden and is fast becoming a Sydney icon in its own right. 140 George St, The Rocks