The Northern Territory government is considering partial occupancy or lease-splitting for the near-complete State Square Gallery building in Darwin, after a cost blowout of $100 million. The government has opened expressions of interest for the facility, originally intended for the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT (MAGNT), and told bidders they can propose using single floors or galleries. Leading art critic John McDonald, former head of Australian art at the National Gallery of Australia, has called the plan 'pure madness' and accused the government of 'vandalising' a major cultural asset.
This matters because the new gallery was purpose-built to house the NT's renowned collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, including works acquired through the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards over 40 years. McDonald argues that MAGNT's current premises are no longer fit for purpose and that the new facility is essential to properly showcase the collection, which includes groundbreaking works by major Aboriginal artists. Splitting the lease risks turning a world-class art gallery into a 'shopping centre', undermining the territory's cultural and tourism potential.