Linden New Art

In 2026, Linden New Art celebrated four decades at the heart of Melbourne’s contemporary art scene. What began as a family home has grown into a place for experimental practice, where artists and audiences come together.

To mark the milestone, Linden presented two landmark exhibitions. Time Moves Through These Walls: 40 years of Linden New Art told the story of the site itself, from Boonwurrung Country through its lives as a family home and guesthouse to one of Melbourne’s best-known contemporary art spaces. Nine artists, including Ernie Althoff, Carolyn Eskdale, Raafat Ishak, Callum Morton, Rose Nolan and Robbie Rowlands, created new works inspired by the building’s architecture, memories and history. Alongside it, Boonwurrung artist Maree Clarke transformed the façade with her major commission The Long Journey Home, a powerful reminder of the site’s lasting significance for the Boonwurrung people.

Natascha Stellmach’s The Letting Go (2012-2026) is on show from 20 August to 8 November. It brings together fourteen years of conversations with people from around the world, all sparked by one question: “What would you like to let go of?” Photographic and mixed-media works fill the Atrium and Foyer Galleries, joined by a new 350-page artist book featuring 130 previously unpublished participant stories.

From 21 November, Linden presents OUTLIER, the first survey exhibition of Naarm/Melbourne artist Catherine Bell. With more than 40 works from over 35 years of practice, it moves from her 1990s performance videos and drawings exploring gender and the body to recent carvings that memorialise loved ones. It’s the second in Linden’s series celebrating mid-career artists, and comes with the first monograph on Bell’s work.

Supporting artists is at the heart of what Linden does. Through JUNCTURE, two mid-career artists each receive a $20,000 cash prize to help them explore new directions in their practice, leading to an exhibition at Linden. This year’s recipients, Sarah CrowEST and Gian Manik, were chosen from more than 120 entries from across Australia, and their bold, thought-provoking proposals impressed the judging panel. Every year, the much-loved Postcards exhibition also gives artists a wonderful chance to show their work to a wide audience, and to sell it too.

2026 also marks 14 years of collaboration between Linden New Art and Zilla & Brook. We’re proud to have been part of the journey and can’t wait for what’s next.