ALA showcase curator's tours: Under the surface

The Australian Library of Art showcase, on level 4, is regularly refreshed with content from the amazing collections that make up the Australian Library of Art. Documenting the art and craft of the book in Australia and beyond, come and discover rare antiquities, woodblocks from the birth of the printing press to printed material from the early 20th century, the sketching tools, diaries and printing plates of major Australian artists, unique artworks and publications from the significant Lindsay collection of Pat Corrigan, as well as a wide variety of artists’ books – a key strength of these collections.

New exhibition: Under the surface, on display 3 October 2026 to 25 April 2027

Water is everywhere. It surrounds us, sustains life, and reshapes landscapes. Water inspires artists and writers and fuels their imaginations.

Delve into the Australian Library of Art’s collections of illustrated books, artists’ books and fine press publications, where water flows through stories, images and the making of books themselves. Some works were submerged in water. Others capture its power, trace its movement, or use water itself as part of the creative process. One was even printed at sea.

Water appears as the setting for sea voyages and legends, a home for magic and mythical creatures, a force for transformation, and a source of identity, culture and belonging. Across literature and art, this ever-changing element embodies dualities between the real and imagined, the scientific and spiritual, the life-giving and the destructive.

Featuring artists who captured the colours of floodwaters, works created with water itself, and works which bring poems, novels, fairy tales and folklore to life.

Some are books in the traditional sense; others challenge our ideas of what a book can be. Discover the many ways water has been imagined, interpreted and transformed in our collections, or book a free curator’s tour to hear the stories behind the display.