Rehearsing the City Exhibition Launch

Rehearsing the City presents archival photographs from Victoria’s government collections, alongside new work by contemporary street photographers.

This exhibition reflects on public space as a stage, a place where meaning is constantly performed, contested and redefined. On display are photographs sourced from the collections of Victoria’s State and National Archives, as well as work by contemporary photographers responding to Victoria’s urban environment: 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.

Both the archival and contemporary images examine how public space is not just shaped by architects and urban planners, but also by protest, improvisation and the rhythms of daily life. Communities and individuals constantly use the built environment in creative or unexpected ways, reinterpreting or subverting its intended design. These acts of resistance show that urban environments are not static — they grow and adapt with their inhabitants. Design can guide, but it is the everyday actions of people that give public space its meaning and its future.

Following the launch, the exhibition is open until March 2027, 10 am–4:30 pm weekdays, and 10 am–4 pm every second and last Saturday of the month. Closed on public holidays.