Three exhibitions kick off 2026 at the Riddoch

THE Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre will open three new exhibitions on Friday, February 6, at 6pm, bringing nationally significant contemporary art and photography to Mount Gambier.

The exhibitions include Between Waves, developed by the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) and touring with NETS Victoria, the National Photographic Portrait Prize, and Bound in Light, a photographic portraiture exhibition by local photographer Maurizio Cigognetti.

Director of the Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre and Cultural Development Ashleigh Whatling said the exhibitions bring together nationally significant and locally focused perspectives.

“Between Waves brings contemporary works by First Nations artists that are exploring the concept of light, time and vision to Mount Gambier,” Ms Whatling said. “Presented alongside an exhibition of Australia’s most acclaimed photographic portraiture from the National Portrait Gallery, we are also delighted to spotlight portrait photographer Maurizio Cigognetti featuring hyperlocal subjects.

“These exhibitions offer diverse and relevant perspectives from artists around Australia, and we invite you to connect with fresh and familiar ideas through them.”

Curated by Dr Jessica Clark, Between Waves amplifies concepts related to light, time and vision – and the idea of shining a light on our times – as expressed by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung word ‘Yalingwa’.

The exhibition explores the visible and invisible energy fields set in motion by these ideas, to illuminate interconnected shapeshifting ecologies within, beyond and between what can be seen.

Ten ambitious new commissions from First Nations artists traverse internal and external worlds, embracing the sensory and cyclical rhythms of light and sound, thinking and feeling, listening and seeing, interwoven with ideas of material memory.

Artists include Maree Clarke, Dean Cross, Brad Darkson, Matthew Harris, James Howard, Hayley Millar Baker, Jazz Money, Mandy Quadrio, Cassie Sullivan and this mob.

This project has been supported by Creative Victoria through the Yalingwa Visual Arts Initiative and NETS Victoria’s Exhibition Development Fund, along with the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.

Between Waves is on view until April 27 in the centre’s Main Gallery and the Margaret Scott Gallery.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize supports and celebrates photographic portraiture in Australia.

Each year the prize attracts thousands of entrants from emerging and established artistic talent across the country.

Featuring famous faces and everyday Australians, the prize honours the vitality and diversity of photographic portraiture in Australia.

In 2025 finalists were selected by the panel of judges – writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law, Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery, Serena Bentley and Leigh Robb, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Following its exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 will be hosted at the Riddoch Art Gallery February through April 2026.

This exhibition is supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to National collections for all Australians.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 is on view until April 17 in the Cathleen Edkins Gallery at The Riddoch.

Bound in Light is a portrait exploration by Italian born photographer Maurizio Cigognetti.

With decades of experience as both a commercial and artistic photographer working between Europe and Australia, Cigognetti has maintained an ongoing project photographing friends, family and strangers to bring brilliant and sharp character examinations to life.

Bound in Light emerged from a series of in-studio photoshoots, where select local subjects in and around Mount Gambier sat for their portrait.

For Cigognetti portraiture is about ‘getting to know’ the people we live around, while also providing another lens through which to see our similarities and differences.

The exhibition is on display in King’s Floor until April 12.

Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre Curator Chris Clements said the exhibitions offer audiences a broad and engaging artistic experience.

“We are excited to open these three new exhibitions, which range from showcasing First Nations artists working across sound, moving image, sculpture and installation, to the powerhouse touring exhibition National Photographic Portrait Prize, and back home to Mount Gambier’s own local hero Maurizio Cigognetti,” Mr Clements. Together, these exhibitions will fill our walls with faces – some of whom you may even know.”

The Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre is located at 1 Bay Road Mount Gambier and open seven days a week and most public holidays.

For more information visit www.theriddoch.com.au