Diverse objects from the QVMAG collection set to spark conversations

There are plenty of surprises in store for visitors to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery's latest exhibition, Conversations. 

From Max Dupain's famous 1937 photograph Sunbaker to a delicately woven eel trap by Ngarrindjeri artist Yvonne Koolmatrie and a dainty 1950s feathered cocktail cap from France, this exhibition brings together a selection of marvellous objects of cultural, social and environmental significance to inspire conversations. 

Now on display at the Art Gallery at Royal Park, Conversations presents curated pairings of objects from the QVMAG collection to encourage visitors to consider how they relate to one another, whether through their similarities or their contrasts. 

The thoughtfully curated pairs of objects include a pop art poster by American artist Roy Lichtenstein and an Indian elephant tusk; a pair of recycled rubber sandals from Tanzania and an early 19th century silhouette of a girl with a riding whip; and an automatic tea-making machine from the early 1900s and a strikingly modern 1980s coffee table by Tasmanian furniture designer John Smith. 

City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said it was great to see such diverse objects from the QVMAG collection on display to the public.

"With more than 1.5 million objects in the QVMAG collection, it's an incredible asset for the Launceston community and you'll get a real taste of its scope in this exhibition," Mayor Garwood said. 

"I'd encourage everyone to head to the Art Gallery this winter to experience the intriguing objects on display and join the conversation." 

QVMAG Lead Curator Kellie Wells said Conversations creates a relationship between the viewer and the objects, and every visitor would take away something different. 

"This is a fresh and contemporary framing of historical objects from the QVMAG collection and an opportunity for the community to engage with them," said Wells. 

"It creates an open and non-hierarchical space for conversations with ourselves and with others. Every item on display has a story, and in this exhibition, audiences are invited to share in these stories in brand new ways." 

From conversations to connections: free event 

QVMAG invites the community to experience the Conversations exhibition through the eyes of a curator and a poet in an afternoon of art, dialogue and poetry in the gallery next month.  

Objects and Poetry: An exploration with Kim Nielsen-Creeley will weave responses to the objects on display into a live poetic interpretation at the Art Gallery at Royal Park, from 2.00pm to 3.00pm on Saturday 5 July. To register, visit www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/Whats-on  

Conversations is on display at the Art Gallery at Royal Park (2 Wellington Street, Launceston) until 10 August 2025. Entry is free. 

Issued 24 June 2025.