Creative Antarctica: Australian Artists and Writers in the Far South, a major new exhibition opening at RMIT Gallery and Design Hub Gallery on 20 February 2026, brings together historical and contemporary Australian artists and writers who have shaped how Antarctica is imagined, documented and understood.
Containing artwork spanning more than 100 years, the exhibition traces how creative practice has expanded the Antarctic narrative beyond exploration and science, offering a cultural record of the continent from early expeditions through to contemporary practice.
The exhibition features works by historically significant figures including Frank Hurley, Douglas Mawson, Sidney Nolan and Lin Onus alongside leading contemporary artists, writers and composers such as Janet Laurence, Alison Lester and Leila Jeffreys. The works range from rare archival material to new, site-responsive projects developed through time spent in Antarctica.
Contributing artist Polly Stanton, who has recently returned from an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship, describes the experience as unlike any other creative opportunity.
"There’s truly nothing that compares to the fellowship. It exists in a category of its own, much like Antarctica itself," Stanton said.
"Antarctica has a way of transforming everyone who spends time there, regardless of their background or creative discipline. It strips away the non-essential and leaves you with something fundamental about your work, about yourself and about your place in the world."
Lead Curator Philip Samartzis said the exhibition highlights the critical role artists and writers play in expanding how Antarctica is understood.
"Antarctica has long been framed through the language of heroism and science. What this exhibition reveals is another history — one shaped by artists and writers who have listened, observed and translated the continent in ways that are sensory, reflective and deeply human.
"Creative practice doesn’t sit alongside Antarctic research; it changes how we understand it," Samartzis said.
Creative Antarctica positions artists and writers as critical witnesses to one of the world’s most remote and fragile regions, showing how creative practice has expanded the Antarctic narrative well beyond exploration and science. The exhibition also foregrounds the importance of the Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship and the role artists play in shaping public understanding of the region at a time of accelerating climate change.
The exhibition is accompanied by a broad suite of public programs.
Exhibition details:
Creative Antarctica: Australian Artists and Writers in the Far South
RMIT Gallery and Design Hub Gallery
Opening event: Thursday 19 February 2026, 5.30-8.30pm
Exhibition dates: 20 February–2 May 2026
FREE
For further information and program details click here.
This exhibition is presented by RMIT University across both RMIT Gallery and Design Hub Gallery. This exhibition was produced as part of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Creative Antarctica: Australian Artists and Writers in the Far South, in collaboration with project team members.
Contact details:
Interviews and general media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or [email protected].
