Picturing the End

'Picturing the End' reflects on how our relationship with our own mortality intersects with narratives of humanity’s downfall.

Depictions and predictions of civilisational collapse, looming planetary limits and existential threats reverberate through contemporary culture.

While the cause and appropriate response to these apocalyptic visions may be a point of debate across the political spectrum, a shared sense of a dystopian future has widespread appeal. As “the end of the world” flashes across our screens, what can we learn about our political imagination by examining these narratives?

Picturing the End presents works from significant artists locally, across Australia and abroad—alongside a curated cinema program—to reflect on our enduring fascination with humanity’s downfall.

Artists: Tiyan Baker, Joseph Breikers, Michael Cook, Kinly Grey, Guy Louden, Dana Lawrie, Tracey Moffatt, Grant Stevens, and more.


Image: Tiyan Baker, Bamboo Paradise, 2019, installation view. Photo: Dan McCabe.