Tolarno Galleries

Contemporary art space in Melbourne CBD

Tolarno Galleries sits on Level 5, 104 Exhibition Street in Melbourne's CBD. It's a good spot for anyone who cares about contemporary art. The location means collectors, curators and gallery visitors can get there easily, and the street address gives the space real visibility in the city.

There's no entry fee and you don't need to book. Just walk in whenever you feel like it with a specific interest or simply to browse. Melbourne's got a solid reputation for contemporary art, and galleries like this one are part of why."}.

What's on at Tolarno

You'll find contemporary work in all sorts of forms here. There's abstract pieces, figurative stuff, photography. The gallery gives serious space to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists alongside established names and newer voices. You might come across minimalist work, surrealist pieces, and conceptually tricky installations sharing walls with work that carries real cultural weight.

Tolarno backs contemporary artists across the board, with a strong focus on Indigenous Australian artists. They've recently shown work by Djurrayun Murrinyina, which reflects their push to get more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art into commercial and public gallery spaces. The upshot is you're looking at work that actually challenges you, makes you think, and captures the real mess and complexity of what contemporary Australian and international art is doing right now.

Current and Changing Exhibition Programme

Tolarno Galleries puts on a steady stream of shows across the year, focusing on work by artists it represents. 'Writing Poems to the Moon' by Brent Harris is a good example of what they do - it's the kind of exhibition that takes a theme and really thinks it through. You'll typically find critical essays and background material in the gallery materials to help you get more out of looking at the work.

They keep a pretty full record of everything they've shown online, so if you're into researching their program or following what they're doing as a collector or just a fan, you can look back at older shows. Because they're always putting something new on while sticking with their artists over time, there's usually a reason to come back and see what's different.

Tolarno's Work with Indigenous Artists

Tolarno Galleries sits in Melbourne, VIC 3000 and acknowledges the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land. The gallery respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and works this into how it selects and shows work. By programming Indigenous Australian artists, Tolarno reflects a wider shift in the local art world toward actually supporting Indigenous creative practice rather than just talking about it.

The gallery's engagement goes beyond acknowledgment. It has representation agreements with Indigenous artists and regularly exhibits work that explores diverse artistic traditions and contemporary ideas. That means visitors see art that speaks to Australia's cultural complexity and shows what Indigenous artists are actually doing in the contemporary art space, locally and internationally.

Getting to Tolarno Galleries

Tolarno Galleries is on Level 5, 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000. Ring +61 3 9654 6000 or email mail@tolarnogalleries.com if you want to check anything beforehand. They're open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, and Saturday 1pm to 4pm. Entry is free and you don't need to book ahead. The spot's right in the CBD, so it's a doddle to get there on public transport or just walk from other galleries and museums nearby. If you're writing to them, the mailing address is PO Box 67, Flinders Lane VIC 8009.

All the artworks and images shown at the gallery belong to the artists and Tolarno Galleries themselves. The place works for collectors hunting down fresh pieces, art students wanting to learn, or just Melbourne locals keen to see what's on in contemporary art. You get serious engagement with work that actually matters, without any pretension.