New Melbourne exhibition celebrates old and new
A new exhibition opening as part of Melbourne Design Week 2026 will bring together archival imagery and contemporary street photography to examine how Victorians shape and reinterpret public space.
Launching on 21 May at the Victorian Archives Centre Gallery, Rehearsing the City presents photographs drawn from Victoria’s State and National Archives collections alongside new work from a group of contemporary photographers responding to the state’s urban environment.
The exhibition features work by Ai Tam Do, Adrian Leung, Suzanne Phoenix, Ted Richards, Sande Harsa, Mark Forbes, Melanie Cobham, Michael Currie, Andrew Tan, Hashem McAdam, Chris Bekos and Deb Stembridge.
According to organisers, the exhibition explores the idea of public space as a “stage” where meaning is continually performed, contested and redefined. The works examine how streets, plazas and civic spaces are shaped not only by planners and architects, but also through protest, improvisation and everyday activity.
By pairing historical material with contemporary street photography, Rehearsing the City highlights the ways communities adapt and reinterpret the built environment over time. The exhibition argues that while urban design can guide behaviour, it is ultimately people and their daily interactions that give cities their identity and meaning.
The launch event will run from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday, 21 May, with free tickets available as part of the wider Melbourne Design Week program, an initiative supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
Following the opening, Rehearsing the City will remain on display until March 2027. The exhibition will be open weekdays from 10am to 4:30pm, as well as every second and last Saturday of the month from 10am to 4pm.