I enjoy spending time alone and pretending I’m a tourist in my own city, it gives me the opportunity for once not to compromise and be a little out of my comfort zone. I don’t naturally gravitate towards making all the decisions and shots, but spending time alone for a day is a good way to practise making decisions on my own, even if they revolve a lot around where I’m going to eat, and there is no exception when I go gallery hopping.
Gallery hopping is one of my favourite things to do, and this by far is one of my favourite routes to go:
Situated in Chippendale, the White Rabbit Gallery is home to contemporary Chinese Art and you can often find pieces by Ai Wei Wei and other prominent figures in the Chinese Art Scene. Even though it’s a contemporary museum, you’re not going to find anything and say “I could’ve made that”.
It’s the easiest first stop for Gallery Hopping as it is only a 10 minute walk from Central Station and strolling through Chippendale you can easily find something for breakfast or a coffee to enjoy.
Currently the gallery has curated the Supernatural Exhibition. It’s not my favourite exhibition that I’ve seen here, but there a plenty of things to keep you talking. Like the naked fly men. Nothing to hide there at all. Take all your viewing pleasure.
While White Rabbit Gallery does have an awesome teahouse with flowering teas, Spice Alley is the place to be if you want a big heart meal to get you through lunch. Situated on Kensington Street, near the University of Technology Sydney, it’s an oasis of smells, busy vibes and colour. Sit down and enjoy your lunch, or even wonder into Koi for a desert degustation, but you will never be disappointed.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
After your belly is too full and you’re ready to walk it off while graciously viewing more gorgeous art, take a bus to Hyde Park and meander your way down to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I go multiple times a year and can still manage to spend hours just wondering. These are the things you need to check out before they finish:
- Spacemakers and Roomshakers is awesome and engages all the senses. Ernesto Neto Just like drops in time, nothing (2002) is something you need to smell and not see first. It automatically reminds me of my mums old spice container and make me feel warm and fuzzy. (Ends October 21)
- Another great crowd pleaser is Nike Savvas Atomic: full of love, full of wonder (2005). This is pure joy as the little balls bounce in their spot and the colours just grab at you. (Ends October 21)
- Fearless, contemporary South Asian art is everything I have ever wanted to see in art exhibition and more. A collection of digital media and physical pieces, the pieces collated here are brutally honest in their depiction of femininity, rape and hope in South East Asia. You will not leave this exhibition untouched or with the same view of South East Asia. It is empowering seeing all these works in one room.
There is a definite theme in the art that I gravitate towards with yet another nod to a contemporary gallery. After you’ve finished at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, quickly hop onto a train from St James Station and get off at Circular Quay and find yourself at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). Everything here is a little weird and wacky but no less wonderful. Out of all the galleries I have been too, I enjoy the permanent exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works the most. The blend of traditional techniques with the new is always a pleasure to see, and the digital media is always spot on.
To cap the day off, I highly recommend going to La Renaissance, on the same street as MCA on the Rocks side, and getting yourself a little treat. While it may be on the pricey side, I see no better way than to finish the day with a hot chocolate, a slice of cake or pastry and enjoying the rest of the afternoon all to yourself. Gallery Hopping can be exhausting after all.
All entries to these galleries are free, unless a specific exhibition is ticketed. None of the exhibitions here mentioned are ticketed and there is nothing better than a freebie.
Bloom & Find 