In winter 2008, the National Gallery of Victoria will be the exclusive Australian venue for a major exhibition of the celebrated and popular style, Art Deco. This exhibition was the most popular program ever mounted at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, which houses one of the world’s great collections of Art Deco. It comprises over 300 works and covers all artistic media from painting to photography, fashion to film and architecture to jewellery. Spanning the boom of the roaring 20s and the Depression-ridden 1930s, Art Deco came to epitomize all the glamour, opulence and hedonism of the Jazz age. It was the era of the flapper girl, the luxury ocean liner, the Hollywood film and the skyscraper. For the first time, there is also a focus on the local experience of Art Deco in Australia.

Although the movement occurred over half a century ago, it remains popular around the world and is increasingly appreciated by new generations who are enchanted by its simplicity, style, design, superior materials and finishes. The exhibition, Art Deco 1910–1939, has already been seen by over three-quarters of a million people on its world tour. It is the first ever major exhibition of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Temporary Exhibition Spaces 1, 2 & 3
Exhibition fees apply

Education resource will be available online commencing Term 3
No pens or pencils will be permitted in this exhibition

STUDENT PROGRAMS

All Levels

Introductory Lecture
Enhance your experience of the exhibition, Art Deco 1910–1939, with a comprehensive overview. Explore the glamour and opulence of this celebrated movement with a broad selection of dynamic works covering all artistic media from painting to photography, fashion to furniture and architecture to jewellery.
Cost $13 / 45 minute lecture (additional time required to view the exhibition)

Middle Years

Design in Deco Workshop
14 Jul – 19 Sep, 9.30am– 12noon & 12.30–3pm
Students explore a range of Art Deco inspired motifs to develop decorative elements that can be applied to a number of objects.
Cost $18 / two and a half hours

Walk and Talk – Architectural Trail
1–5 Sep, 10am–2pm
Walk, talk and discover the dynamic and varied Art Deco and Modern architecture Melbourne has to offer. Explore buildings that redefined the city skyline. Students will focus on exteriors, ornamental features and decorative details characteristics of art deco design. Observational drawing included.
Cost $20 / two hours

Collection Connections – Ancient Civilisations
Enrich your curriculum links by combining a viewing of Art Deco 1910–1939 with an introduction to the ancient civilisations collection at the NGV. Explore aspects of Egyptian, Asian and Greek symbolism and design which influenced decorative features of Art Deco objects.
Cost $6

LECTURE PROGRAM
(Suitable for Year 8–12)

Architecture
Fri 1 Aug, 10am–12noon
An introduction to the history of Art Deco architecture featuring icons from around the world by Art Deco expert Christine Phillips, Lecturer, RMIT School of Architecture and Design.
Cost $15 / includes self-guided viewing of exhibition.

Art Deco Fashion: from the exotic to the moderne
Mon 18 Aug, 10am–12noon
This introductory lecture sets the historical and design context for fashion from 1910–1939. Consider the exotic from ancient Egypt and China to the moderne in European and American design including garments by Poiret, Paquin, Lanvin, Chanel and costumes designed for the Ballets Russes.
Cost $15 / includes self-guided viewing of exhibition.

Australian Art Deco
Thu 4 Sep, 10am–12noon
An introduction to the history of Art Deco in Australia featuring architecture, fashion and graphic design and exploring international influences on Australian culture and society.
Cost $15 / includes self guided viewing of exhibition.

Travel and Transport
Fri 25 Aug, 10am–12noon
This introductory lecture sets the historical and social context for developments in automotive, ship and train design and technology from 1910–1939. Explore the social, cultural, industrial and economic environments which precipitated the age of speed and luxury.
Cost $15 / includes self-guided viewing of exhibition.

STUDY SEMINARS

VCE Studio Arts Unit 4 Behind the scenes of an international touring exhibition
Thu 7 Aug, 9.30am–12.30pm
Gain insight into the presentation of artworks in relation to curatorial, exhibition design and conservation issues. Explore the role of the NGV as a Public Gallery including a behind the scenes look at the marketing strategies involved in the promotion of an exhibition. This focus day includes a brief introduction to the Art Deco 1910–1939 exhibition.
Cost $22 / includes self guided viewing of the exhibition.

Design and Professional Practice
Fri 22 Aug, 9.30am–12.30pm
Focus on the way designers use the design process in the production of visual communications. Professional designers working at the NGV and a practising architect will discuss issues including; the role of the client, different researching and exploring approaches and materials and techniques to create final visual solutions. Students will be given an insight to the ways designers work within the NGV developing visual materials that relate to the promotion of a major touring exhibition. This focus day includes a brief introduction to the Art Deco 1910–1939 exhibition.
Cost $22 / includes self guided viewing of the exhibition.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Exclusive Teacher Preview
Fri 18 Jul, 6–9pm
Celebrate the much anticipated opening of the exhibition, Art Deco 1910–1939, with family, friends and colleagues. Immerse yourself in the lavish spirit of the exhibition by dressing in the Deco style. Enjoy jazz music, fine food and wine in the Great Hall. Includes a brief overview of the exhibition by the NGV Coordinating Curator, and an exclusive viewing of this major exhibition.
Cost $45 (all inclusive)

French Language Teacher Event: AFTV Members’ Exclusive
Fri 25 Jul, 6–9pm
An evening in collaboration with the Association of French Teachers Victoria (AFTV) to celebrate the opening of Art Deco 1910–1939. Includes exclusive viewing, music, fine food and wine in the Gallery Garden Restaurant.
Bookings through AFTV Ph: 03 8711 3062

DATTA & Art Deco
Thu 31 Jul, 9.30am–3.30pm
This program provides teachers of Design and Technology the opportunity to explore the ways artworks within the Art Deco 1910–1939 exhibition can be used to enhance ideas for resistant material curriculum development. Includes an introductory lecture, exhibition viewing and a workshop.
Cost $99
Bookings through DATTA Ph: 03 9349 1538

WEEKEND SEMINARS

The Deco Style
Sat 16 Aug & Sat 6 Sep, 9am–12noon
From the ‘Roaring Twenties’ to the Great Depression, the Art Deco style infused all aspects of daily life. From luxurious objects to the mass produced, discover how designers engaged with the idea of modernity and progress through all aspects of design. Enjoy an exclusive opportunity to view this comprehensive exhibition before the gallery opens to the public, followed by morning tea and introductory lecture.
Cost $54 (all inclusive)

Art Deco Masterclass
Sat 16 Aug, 9am–4pm
Augment your experience of Art Deco 1910–1939 by experimenting with a range of screen printed fabric designs in the studio of Olive Grove Textiles in Brunswick. After an Introductory lecture and viewing of the exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, teachers are given the opportunity to work with prepared photographic emulsion screens and investigate a number of silk screening techniques. Strictly limited places.
Cost $150

NGV PROGRAMS

Art Deco Symposium*
Sat 28 Jun, 10am–4pm 8.45–10am Registration and Optional Viewing
A full day of presentations by local and international speakers focusing on the exhibition and related themes. From its origins at the Paris exposition of 1925 through to the ways that Deco has been articulated throughout Europe, the Americas, and Australasia, this is an excellent opportunity to discover the multiple faces of Art Deco – architecture, design, film, decorative arts and fashion.
Cost $80 Adult / $65 NGV Member / $70 Concession / $55 Student (includes symposium, early morning exhibition viewing, morning & afternoon tea)
Venue Clemenger BBDO Auditorium, NGV International (enter North entrance, via the Arts Centre forecourt)
Event code P0866
Further information and bookings ph: 03 8662 1555, 10am–5pm daily (payment must be made upon booking)

Lecture and Free Film Screening: The Goth Aesthetic*
Thu 10 Jul, 6pm (free film screening, 6.45pm)
Goth’s dark aesthetic is informed by Berlin cabarets of the 1920s and early 20th century Expressionist film. Musically, the genre distils aspects of punk and glam rock into a monochromatic dirge. This lecture traces Goth subculture through its musical and costumed machinations and exposes just how varied a uniform of black can be. Followed by a free film screening of Orpheus, directed by Jean Cocteau (1949, 95 mins).
Speaker Anna Hirsh, independent writer and curator
Cost $7 Adult / $5 NGV Member
Venue Theatre, NGV Australia
Event code P0861

* NGV Programs recommended for teachers