Members opening party
Friday 24 April
6.00 pm | $40 members and their guests | Exhibition Galleries and Gallery foyer
Lucina Ward, Curator, International Painting and Sculpture, and curator of Soft sculpture, introduces the exhibition. Artists whose works are in the exhibition also join us for this special members� opening and cocktail reception.

Artists' talks
Saturday 25 April
2.00 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Artists Lauren Berkowitz, Les Kossatz, Sadie Chandler discuss their works in the exhibition Soft sculpture.

Sacred geometry
Saturday 25 April
6.00 pm | bookings (02) 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au, $25; $20 members; $5 children | James O Fairfax Theatre
With the opening of Soft sculpture, The Griffyn Ensemble celebrates the UN International Year of Astronomy with a musical reflection of geometry and structure. Featuring works by Penderescki, Liszt, David Bedford and Michael Sollis.

Curator�s perspective
Tuesday 28 April
12.45 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Lucina Ward, Curator, International Painting and Sculpture, and curator of Soft sculpture, provides a walk-through introduction to this diverse and often surprising exhibition.

Woodwinds
Saturday 2 May
2.00�3.30 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
The woodwind duo of Christopher Young and Dushan Mitrovic use their intuition and experience to create a contemporary sound.

Artist�s talk
Tuesday 5 May
12.45 pm | Free
Artist Peter Vandermark talks about his works Fattish I 1997, Fattish VI 1997 and Fattish VII 1998 in the exhibition Soft sculpture.

Young members evening
Members
Thursday 7 May 5.30 pm
Lisa McDonald gives a youthful perspective on selected works in Soft sculpture. A bus will then ferry guests to the Parlour Wine Room for drinks and funky tunes by The Lethals. $20; $10 members | bookings essential | Exhibition Galleries and Parlour Wine Room at NewActon

Members wine tasting
Members
Saturday 9 May 4.00 pm
Excite the senses with a tour of Soft sculpture followed by a wine tasting with one of the region�s finest wine producers, including the renowned sparkling wines of Gallagher Wines. $20; $10 members | Exhibition Galleries and Sculpture Garden Restaurant

Visionaire � an artists� playground
Tuesday 12 May
12.45 pm | Free | Small Gallery
Helen Hyland, Bibliographic Reference Librarian, introduces the Research Library�s collection of Visionaire, a fashion and art publication that is magazine, art object, toy and accessory.

Movie night: Attack of the killer tomatoes!
Tuesday 12 May
May 5.00�7.30 pm | $10; $5 members | bookings essential | Exhibition Galleries and James O Fairfax Theatre
Be inspired by the latent energy in otherwise harmless objects and enjoy a tour of Soft sculpture, followed by light refreshments and a screening of Attack of the killer tomatoes!

Padded cells
Saturday 16 May
10.30 am � 4.00 pm | $20; $15 members (includes materials) | bookings essential | Small Theatre (meet in Gallery foyer)
Join artist and educator Roy Marchant for a workshop on material and metaphor in Soft sculpture. Participants to provide their own lunch.

Special assisted tour
Saturday 16 May
10.30 am | Free | book now (02) 6240 6519 | meet in Gallery foyer
Tour and viewing for people with disabilities, led by voluntary guides.

Breathe in, breathe out
Tuesday 19 May
12.45 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Dr Christopher Chapman, Curator, National Portrait Gallery, discusses selected works and their relationship to the human body.

Up skirt: the conservation of Icebag�scale B
Thursday 28 May
12.45 pm | Free | Small Theatre
Roy Marchant, artist and object conservator, discusses his recent conservation work on Claes Oldenburg�s Icebag�scale B 1971.

Private viewing for carers
Saturday 30 May
10.30 am | Free | bookings essential (02) 6296 9900 | meet in Gallery foyer
Tour and viewing for carers, led by voluntary guides in collaboration with Carers ACT.

Autumn art club III
Sunday 31 May
3.00�4.30 pm | $10; free for members | bookings essential | Exhibition Galleries and Members Lounge
Lucina Ward, curator of Soft sculpture, gives a focus talk on the work of Eva Hesse, followed by a glass of sparkling wine.

Descriptive tour
Saturday 6 June
2.30 pm | Free | bookings essential (02) 6240 6519 | Exhibition Galleries (meet in Gallery foyer)
Descriptive and touch tour for blind and sight-impaired visitors with trained voluntary guides.

Young members wine tasting
Saturday 6 June
4.00 pm | $10; free for members | Exhibition Galleries and Sculpture Garden Restaurant
Join other young members for an exclusive tour of Soft sculpture, followed by a wine tasting with one of the region�s finest producers of wine, including the renowned sparkling wines of Gallagher Wines.

 

Surrealism and the body
Tuesday 9 June
12.45 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Lisa McDonald discusses Marcel Duchamp�s Please touch 1947, and the influence of Surrealism on representations of the body.

Studio visit
Saturday 13 June
9.30 am – 3.00 pm | $65; $55 members (includes coach travel and lunch) | bookings essential | meet in NGA car park Artist David Jensz guides us through his studio and discusses his working process, followed by a light lunch at The Cellar Door, Gallagher’s Winery, Murrumbateman.

Movie night: The blob
Sunday 14 June
DVD, 1958, M, 86 min
2.00 pm | Free | James O Fairfax Theatre
The blob is a classic American horror–science fiction film in which a creature from out of space terrorises a small community in the United States. Directed by Irvin Yeaworth and starring Steve McQueen.

Joseph Beuys, modern shaman
Tuesday 16 June
12.45 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Christine Dixon, Senior Curator, International Painting and Sculpture, discusses Joseph Beuys�s Stripes from the house of the shaman 1964�72 1980.

Archives treasure chest
Thursday 18 June
12.45 pm | Free | Small Theatre
Jennifer Coombes, Special Collections Archivist, explores the unusual documents and objects in the Research Library�s Special Collections: patterns, wool samples, fabric scraps, paper sculptures and more.

Soft and squishy short-film screening
Sunday 21 June
2.00�3.00 pm | Free | James O Fairfax Theatre
A selection of short films focused on the theme of �soft� and featuring a range of animation techniques such as claymation and claypainting. Screening includes the Oscar-winning films Harvie Krumpet (2003), Mona Lisa descending a staircase (1992) and Closed Mondays (1974).

Curator�s perspective
Tuesday 23 June
12.45 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Lucina Ward, curator of Soft sculpture, examines the revolutionary changes in sculpture in the 1960s and 1970s, and their impact to the present day.

Don�t let the bedbugs bite
Thursday 25 June
12.45 pm | Free | Small Theatre
Lisa Addison, Preventive Conservation Manager, talks about the pre-emptive pest eradication treatment of various works of art in Soft sculpture, and the application of treatments for your home or private collection.

Sign-interpreted tour
Sunday 28 June
2.30 pm | bookings essential (02) 6240 6519 | meet in Gallery foyer
Auslan sign-interpreted tour introducing the exhibition Soft sculpture.

Artist talks
Thursday 2 July
12.45 pm | Free | Exhibition Galleries
Artist Nell discusses her work The perfect drip 1999 in the exhibition Soft sculpture.

Fashion parade
Thursday 2 July
5.00 pm | $40 members and their guests | bookings essential | Exhibition Galleries and Sculpture Garden Restaurant
Swish your way through Soft sculpture with voluntary guides. Then marvel at the designs of cutting-edge Australian and New Zealand fashion designers, accompanied by the sounds of local DJ Bucky (Soft Tigers). Followed by light refreshments. Presented in collaboration with the Department of the Exterior.

Sculpture: old and new, soft and hard
Saturday 4 July
2.00�4.00 pm | Free | James O Fairfax Theatre
In this forum, artists, curators, conservators and art historians discuss the radical changes in the way artists have approached sculpture from the 1960s to the present�from innovative techniques and new materials to politics and social change. Topics include assemblage, recycling and poetic licence; inherent vice with reference to ephemeral materials; and the impact of humour, play and images from popular culture.

Squishy sculpture (ages 9�12)
Wednesday 8 July
10.30 am � 12.30 pm, repeated 2.00�4.00 pm | $20; $15 members/concession | bookings essential | Small Theatre
Join artist Teffany Theildman to carve your own sculpture out of foam.

 

Knitta Please: A festival of events

Sunday 5 July to Sunday 12 July 2009
To celebrate the final week of Soft sculpture, the National Gallery of Australia will be holding Knitta Please, a festival of events from 5 to 12 July. Founded in 2005, Knitta Please is a tag crew of knitters who turned their frustration with their half-finished knitting projects into a phenomenon sweeping across the world. See the photos on Flickr.

Artist talks
Sunday 5 July
2.00 pm | Free | James O Fairfax Theatre
Magda Sayeg, Knitta Please founder and yarn-bomber, discusses the curious convergence of knitting and graffiti, exploring the social implication of street art in our urban environment.

Yarn-bombing and guerrilla knitting in the Sculpture Garden
Monday 6 July
10.00 am � 3.00 pm | Free | Sculpture Garden
Come and watch the transformation of the Gallery�s Sculpture Garden with colourful knitted objects as Magda Sayeg, founder of Knitta Please, tags everyday items from the urban environment.

Stitching up the NGA
Tuesday 7 July to Sunday 12 July
Free | Gallery entrance and foyer
Come and watch the Gallery be transformed with knitting. Held over four days, Magda Sayeg, founder of Knitta Please, and Sydney artist Denise Litchfield transform the front entrance of the Gallery. Knitters are invited to help create squares of knitting for the coverings. For information on how to become involved, please go to nga.gov.au/whatson or view event photos on Flickr.

Stitch �n� bitch
Wednesday 8 July
6.00�8.30 pm | $30; $25 members (includes nibbles and complimentary glass of wine) | Parlour Wine Room | bookings essential
Picking up on the current London trend and book of the same name, this event will bring together knitters for a relaxed evening of clicking and conversation. Please bring your unfinished knitting projects and join us for this Knitta Please event.

Children�s knitting workshop (ages 5+)
Thursday 9 July
10.30 am � 12.30 pm | Free (materials supplied) | Small Theatre
Children are invited to attend a finger-knitting workshop taught by Knitta Please founder Magda Sayeg.

 

Spooky action at a distance

installation–video art
at NewActon
24 April – 12 July 2009 NewActon