CANBERRA.- The National Gallery of Australia announces its 2026 program, unveiling a line-up of major exhibitions and projects that celebrate the breadth of art and cultural expression.

Headlining the 2026 Artistic Program are major exhibitions that celebrate culture and explore the epic and the imaginative: from the upcoming 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain to the inaugural presentation of the full set of Arthur Boyd’s towering tapestries, and Full Throttle, which uses the automobile as a lens to interrogate contemporary life, identity and power.

Opening this December and continuing into 2026 and beyond with a national tour, After the Rain is the realisation of Artistic Director Tony Albert’s vision. It comes to life this summer through 10 immersive, large-scale projects by established and emerging First Nations artists from across Australia.

Over winter, the National Gallery presents Arthur Boyd: tapestries, a landmark exhibition offering the first opportunity for audiences to experience 20 monumental tapestries by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd. Boyd commissioned the tapestries, part of his large-scale Life of St Francis series, from the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre, Portugal, and they were purchased by the National Gallery in 1975. This exhibition is the first time the complete series of 20 tapestries has been on public display. Presented alongside this exhibition, the collection display Tapestries from the national collection demonstrates how this ancient form of textile production remains a compelling medium for artists today.

Taking centre stage from December 2026 is Full Throttle, bringing together a dynamic group of contemporary artists who challenge the myths and meanings built around cars and confront themes of gender, power, performance and national identity. From post-apocalyptic myth to suburban realism, the car is shown as a connector and divider, saviour, destroyer and muse. This major exhibition is fuelled by the legacy of the Mad Max films and features immersive installations and works by leading international and Australian artists.

Other highlights of the artistic program celebrate contemporary art from across the country and artists who uniquely and poetically depict the Australian environment.

Ngura Pulka — Epic Country is an artist-led project which showcases ambitious, large-scale paintings by senior First Nations artists and collectives from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Coober Pedy and Tarntanya/Adelaide. From the beginning of the APY art movement, these artists have embraced the opportunity to celebrate and share their Tjukurpa (Aṉangu law/ cultural stories) through their monumental paintings and distinctive designs. Senior women artists, as Community leaders, describe these major works as representing for APY artists and First Nations Communities the ultimate freedom of cultural expression, exploration and depiction of their Tjukurpa and Ngura (land).

Rosalie Gascoigne is a major retrospective honouring one of Australia’s most distinctive voices. From her early small assemblages to her expansive wall works and floor installations the exhibition traces Gascoigne’s transformation of found, humble materials into highly inventive and radiant works that speak to her poetic evocation of the natural world.

Next year’s programming also includes new National Gallery Touring Exhibitions and the Sharing the National Collection program, supported through the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy Revive. New tours celebrating the National Gallery’s photographic collection include Max Dupain and Ansel Adams: in search of perfection and Photography in the 1980s, as part of the Bowness Family Foundation Photography Touring Program.

Throughout 2026, visitors to the Gallery will see recent acquisitions to the national collection on display for the first time. Audiences can look forward to experiencing new additions to the collection by First Nations and Australian artists including Albert Namatjira, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Trent Parke–as well as significant contemporary art from abroad, with works by Dana Schutz, Julie Mehrutu and Raven Halfmoon.

Highlighting these acquisitions, new collection displays will invite audiences to consider different themes through a variety of mediums. They include Blueprints for temples, Migration and modernism: Émigré artists in post-war Australia, Blossom: Country in bloom, David Hockney: portraits in print, History of drawing: from 1901 to today and Supporting the national collection: Gordon and Marilyn Darling.

Dr Nick Mitzevich, Director, National Gallery: ‘In 2026, the National Gallery continues to champion artistic excellence, art history and the ideas that have shaped Australia’s cultural identity. From Arthur Boyd’s spiritual tapestries to the rebellious energy of Mad Max in Full Throttle, and from the deep cultural strength of After the Rain to the visionary work of Rosalie Gascoigne—these exhibitions reveal the vast possibilities of storytelling through art.’

‘Sharing the national collection with more Australians beyond Kamberri/Canberra is at the heart of the National Gallery’s purpose. Through Art Across Australia programming including touring exhibitions and the Sharing the National Collection program, more Australians than ever can engage with the national collection in their own communities. Last year, the collection travelled to every state and territory, reaching over 3 million people, and we look forward to continuing to expand our reach throughout 2026.’