IMA’s 50th Anniversary Gala and Art Auction Promises a Bacchanalian Feast

Brisbane isn’t generally considered synonymous with modern art, but perhaps it should be. After all, the city is home to the longest-running independent contemporary art gallery in Australia, the Institute of Modern Art (IMA). Opened in 1975 by Brisbanites who were fed up with the conservative approach of the mainstream galleries, the IMA cemented itself as an accessible space for unconventional work.

“It was always the place for experimental practices and boundary-pushing pieces,” IMA Gala committee member Phoebe Zavros tells Broadsheet. “It quickly started to include international artists as well, which is major for a smaller gallery.”

Artists such as Archie Moore, Tracy Moffatt, Daniel Boyd, Marina Abramović and Ai Weiwei have had their work displayed there. After 50 years – nearly half of them spent at the Brunswick Street space in Fortitude Valley that the IMA has called home since 2001 – the gallery is celebrating its major anniversary this October in style. Surrealist style, to be precise.

Each year, the IMA holds a themed gala dinner and auction to raise funds and highlight emerging artists. “We’re focusing on surrealism this year, which is more prominent now than ever. Coming from a time of great disruption and war, surrealism was a creative response to chaos,” Zavros says. As she points out, last year marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of Andre Breton’s first surrealist manifesto, so the timing feels apt.

But the theme is much more than an art history lesson – it’s the centrepiece of the dinner and the dress code: black tie with a surrealist twist. “The more extravagant the better,” she says. “It’s going to be a bacchanalian feast.”

That might sound a bit ambitious for your average art gallery, but Zavros says it’s par for the course at this one. “The IMA has always been the place where you find the wackiest things that are happening in Brisbane.”

While previous IMA Galas have been cocktail party-style events, the 50th anniversary edition, taking place on October 31 at The Calile Hotel, will be a sit-down banquet. “So you can get a group of your art-loving friends together and buy a table,” she says. Tickets include a 10% discount for pairs and group bookings.

The focus of the night is the IMA Benefit Auction, where you’ll have the chance to purchase exclusive works by leading Australian and international artists, including 2025 Archibald Prize winner Julie Fragar. This isn’t a typical formal auction, though. “The artists are in the room. A lot of them come, which is really special – to get to talk to the person whose work you’ve just bought, or someone you’ve been a fan of for a while.”

There’ll also be a raffle, featuring special prizes donated by beloved Brisbane venues and brands, and live performances throughout the night.

Whether you’re a perennial guest at the IMA Gala or you’ve never even set foot in the gallery, Zavros says you won’t want to miss this event. “It’s the perfect opportunity if you’re interested in meeting artists, or getting dressed up with your friends, or you just love Brisbane and you want to see where the creativity lies.”

The IMA Gala begins at 6pm on Friday October 31 at The Calile. Tickets start from $350 and can be booked online.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of the Institute of Modern Art.