The NGV turns 150 this weekend, giving us a chance to celebrate the gallery and consider how damn lucky we are that our city plays host to this world-class art space. The festivities begin this Saturday (May 28) with a two-day roster of free events. Highlights include the NGV Journey, a series of live art installations based on by gallery’s most-loved works, choreographed by acclaimed artistic director Robyn Archer and the NGV pARTy, an after dark event to be held across Fed Square’s Ian Potter Centre and the NGV International on St Kilda Road. The party - which will see acts such as Dan Sultan, the Bamboos and Combo La Revelcacion - play against the grandeur of the NGV Great Hall and seems the perfect way to say celebrate.

For exhibition designer, Dee Dzelalija, the NGV 150 pARTy Weekend is all about “inclusion, fun and a whole new way of celebrating favourite works from the NGV collection.” Dee, whose past credits include last year’s beguiling Tim Burton exhibition at ACMI, was responsible for overseeing the event design and is excited by the possibilities of the space. “I love the contrast between the two sites – the airiness and irregularity of NGV Australia and the more traditional aesthetic at NGV International. Having worked on many temporary exhibitions across both sites, the inspiration most certainly comes from the art and the many people involved who feel so passionately about it,” she says.

The NGV 150 pARTy Weekend is on this Saturday and Sunday (May 28-29).

The NGV pARTy will run from 5pm to 9pm at NGV Australia on Saturday night and continue from 7.30pm to midnight at the NGV International.

ngv.vic.gov.au