South Australian artists will take centre stage in 2026 as the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) unveils a major exhibition program that balances local excellence with international masterworks.
AGSA’s 2026 program places South Australian artists at the heart of three major exhibitions, alongside the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, a new Winter Art Series launch, and a rare international exhibition tracing the evolution of modern art from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries.
AGSA Director Jason Smith said the year ahead reflects both creative ambition and deep connection to place. “In 2026 the Art Gallery of South Australia offers an inspiring program that celebrates artistic excellence, creative innovation and our rich collection. Anchored by exhibitions that speak to the complexities of our time, AGSA’s 2026 exhibition program champions the enduring power of artists to propose new ideas that transform our sense of self and the world we inhabit.”
Opening on 27 February as part of the Adelaide Festival, the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Yield Strength will explore how materials, identity and society respond under pressure. Curated by Ellie Buttrose, the Biennial brings together new experimental works from 24 Australian artists, continuing its legacy as the nation’s longest-running survey of contemporary Australian art.
In May, Two Islands, One Thread will celebrate the cross-cultural richness of textiles from Bali and Lombok. Featuring previously unseen works from AGSA’s collection alongside loans from the West Nusa Tenggara State Museum, the exhibition traces a thousand years of artistic exchange between Hindu Bali and Muslim Lombok.
Winter will usher in the debut of AGSA’s new Winter Art Series with Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition, opening 8 July. This Australian-exclusive exhibition from the Toledo Museum of Art presents 57 seminal paintings by artists including Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Berthe Morisot and Piet Mondrian. Presented in partnership with the South Australian Government and the South Australian Tourism Commission, the Winter Art Series will bring major international exhibitions exclusively to Adelaide from 2026 to 2029.
South Australian artists will form the focus of three exhibitions in the second half of the year. From July, James Tylor: Turrangka…in the shadows will survey more than a decade of work by the Kaurna artist, featuring daguerreotypes, expansive photographic series, cultural objects and furniture made in collaboration with Rebecca Selleck. The exhibition reflects Tylor’s broader practice of reclaiming Kaurna language and cultural traditions.
Photography and fashion will intersect in Dressed Up: Fashion & Photography 1850–1920, opening 5 December. Drawing from AGSA’s collections of historical South Australian dress and early photography, the exhibition explores craftsmanship, identity and social change across seven decades.
Closing the year, Guildhouse Fellow Michelle Nikou will present new sculptural works in December, transforming everyday domestic objects through surrealist techniques. The annual Guildhouse Fellowship, presented with AGSA and the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, supports one mid-career South Australian artist through research, development and exhibition.
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels said, “In 2026, the Art Gallery of South Australia will champion the work of South Australian artists across its exhibition program while also bringing rare masterworks to Adelaide through the Winter Art Series delivered as part of our new $80 million State Cultural Policy.”
Beyond the gallery walls, AGSA’s influence will extend through touring exhibitions, including Tarnanthi on Tour and AGSA Screen: Wavelength, reinforcing Adelaide’s place as a leading cultural destination.
The 2026 Exhibitions
2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Yield Strength
Principal Donor: The Balnaves Foundation
Presented in association with: Adelaide Festival; Samstag Museum of Art; Adelaide Botanic Garden
Additional support: Art Gallery of South Australia Biennial Ambassadors Program
Government support: Assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, and the Visual Art, Craft and Design Strategy — an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition
Organised by: Toledo Museum of Art
Principal Partner: South Australian Tourism Commission
Presenting Partner: IAS Fine Art Logistics
Design Partner: Grieve Gillett Architects
James Tylor: Turrangka…in the shadows
A UNSW Galleries, Sydney exhibition, presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of South Australia
Presented during: SALA Festival
Michelle Nikou: Tell it slant
Supported by: Guildhouse and the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation
AGSA Screen: Wavelength
Supported by: Metal Manufactures Pty Ltd
Presented in partnership with: Country Arts SA
Tarnanthi on Tour: Saltbush Country
Presented by: Country Arts SA
Developed and first presented by: Country Arts SA, Tarnanthi and the Art Gallery of South Australia
Principal Partner: BHP
Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi
Tarnanthi Principal Partner: BHP
Touring Partner: Visions of Australia
Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940
Presented by: Art Gallery of South Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales
For full program details, visit agsa.sa.gov.au.
More News
