A Local Agenda from Romance Was Born
In overseeing their blockbuster ‘Express Yourself: Romance Was Born for Kids’ exhibition at NGV, Romance Was Born have been making The Cullen their home away from home. Here’s their need-to-know for the month ahead.
GETTING OUT
Obviously NGV International is top of the list, to catch up on ‘Express Yourself’ and explore any new exhibitions we might have missed. Our picks would be Alex Prager’s photography collection and Takahiro Iwasaki’s ‘Reflection Model’ which is an amazingly intricate piece. If there’s time we’ll head over to NGV Australia or stop by one of our favourite smaller galleries such as Utopian Slumps or Karen Woodbury Gallery.
When it comes to going out for dinner we have a penchant for Japanese; Luke’s favourite restaurant in Melbourne is Andrew McConnell’s Supernormal. We also love Izakaya Den and it’s little sister HiHou.
Closer to The Cullen, we’re mad about the pizza (and wine!) at Baby in Richmond. If we don’t have time to run out for food, it’s lucky to be right opposite Prahran Market; there’s always plenty of delicious snacks to be found there.
Each time we’re in Melbourne we can’t go past Chapel Street Bazaar – we’ll find a new treasure to take home (or for a special gift) every time. We can easily spend a couple of hours getting into all the hidden nooks and corners of this place so it’s luckily The Cullen is only a short walk away.
Being surrounded by Adam Cullen’s art is an inspiration boost in itself
STAYING IN
If we’re caught up with work or meetings at The Cullen, we like to order in dumplings from HuTong downstairs. So many flavours to choose from and we also can’t go past their Peking Duck. Sometimes when you’re caught in a creative funk you need to get out and about, so being in the thick of Prahran it’s good to take a stroll – or grab one of the art bikes from front desk if we’re game. Being surrounded by Adam Cullen’s art is an inspiration boost in itself, there’s colour everywhere you look, which really keeps the creative juices flowing.
MARCH MUST-DO’S
If you’re in Melbourne in March, you’d want to be heading along to the Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF) to sneak a peek at their selection of Australia’s brightest young designers. We're also very proud to be closing VAMFF this year, showcasing our 'Bush Magic' collection.
Of particular interest would be the Independent Runway, which often sees the breakout talent for the coming few years (not to mention some great, fresh ideas that aren’t always showcased on the bigger runways!)
A trip out to Heide would also be on our wish list, to catch Arthur Boyd’s ‘Brides’ before it closes and also to take in the incredible architecture and atmosphere of the museum.
'Express Yourself: Romance Was Born for Kids' is on at NGV International until 12 April. Find out more here.
