An expansive new John Curtin Gallery exhibition will combine the voices, stories and perspectives of more than 40 artists from across regional Western Australia.
Launching September 18, Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures is drawn from 13 regional exhibitions and considers how regional communities imagine, make and care for the
future of regions across WA.
It is the latest iteration of the Regional Arts Triennial, a Statewide program held every three years.
Spanning a diverse range of artistic practices, the exhibition reveals both the diversity and interconnectedness of regional experience, interwoven with stories of migration, belonging
and community resilience.
Lead Curator Sarah Roots said seeing these works gathered at John Curtin Gallery and carrying stories of communities across the state was deeply moving.
“They offer a rare opportunity to experience the future, not as a distant horizon, but as something already taking root,” Ms Roots said.
“Across 13 exhibitions, regional curators and artists responded from place, memory, material and relationship, revealing that our most powerful futures are often already present in the
ways we care for one another and the world around us.”
The exhibition encompasses a manifold of artistic forms, scales and collaborations, including intimate paintings and drawings to large-scale sculptures, multimedia works and siteresponsive
installations.
The third Regional Arts Triennial builds on the legacy of its predecessors – The Alternative Archive (2021) and Open Borders (2023) – and turns its attention towards what comes next, positioning wonder and imagination as tools for imagining and building tomorrow.
John Curtin Gallery Director Professor Susanna Castleden said each regional exhibition offered a unique insight into the landscapes, people and creative practices that define its
community.
“One of the greatest challenges and rewards of the Regional Arts Triennial has been finding ways to honour the specificity of each regional context,” Professor Castleden said.
“The exhibition brings these distinct voices together, creating a powerful portrait of the richness and diversity of regional Western Australia.”
The project was made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government, ART ON THE MOVE and the Navigators.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition Open: September 18 – December 6, 2026
Header Image: Athena Shaw Boast and Matthew Darwen, Saving our beautiful Mammangs for the future, 2025, papier mache, ply, acrylic paint and fairy lights, 200 x 140 x 40cm. Photo by Sharon Baker.
