Exhibition Launch: Maestri & Beyond the Box

Join us for the launch of two exhibitions at Manly Art Gallery & Museum.

Maestri: Influences from Italy to Australia explores the legacy of Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo - artist, mentor, and agent of change in Australian modernism. Drawing from MAG&M’s collection, the National Art School, and private lenders, the exhibition traces his artistic lineage from Naples to Sydney. Featuring works by Dattilo-Rubbo and his influential students and teachers, it reflects on the generational impact of teaching, mentorship, and friendship. A collaboration between MAG&M, the Italian Cultural Institute Sydney, and the Consulate General of Italy in Sydney.

To be opened by Gianluca Rubagotti, Consul General, Consulate General of Italy in Sydney.

Beyond the Box explores the creative and conceptual potential of the humble cardboard box. Once a symbol of industrial efficiency and global trade, cardboard has become a powerful material for artists addressing themes of consumption, displacement, and environmental sustainability. Featuring works by Gabrielle Bates, Patrizia Biondi, Tracey Clement, Scott Duncan, David Manley, and Sean Rafferty, the exhibition highlights diverse approaches to reuse and reinvention. Presented as part of MAG&M’s Collective for Environmental Art & Design (CEAD) program, Beyond the Box examines how an ordinary object can become a vessel for urgent contemporary ideas.

To be opened by Penny Craswell, editor, writer, and curator who specializes in design, craft, architecture, and interior.

Image: Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo, The artist and the model, 1940, oil on canvas, 76 x 91cm. Gift of the artist 1940