Lowy Institute @ NGV - Russia: from art to politics
Join the Lowy Institute at the NGV for a viewing of the Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great exhibition followed by a wide-ranging conversation about modern-day Russia, from art to politics, with exhibition curator Ted Gott, Lowy Institute Nonresident Fellow Matthew Sussex and moderator Amanda Smith from ABC Radio National.
Catherine the Great’s passion for collecting stemmed from her belief in the civilising power of art. Her acquisitions opened up Russia to new ideas and social morays during her rule from 1762 - 1796. Works from her collection form the basis for the current Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition at the NGV Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great.
Exhibition viewing: 5pm - 6pm
Event Discussion: 6:15pm - 7:15pm
Matthew Sussex is a Nonresident Fellow of the Lowy Institute. He is Director of the Politics and International Relations program at the University of Tasmania. His research specialisations include international security, Russian politics and foreign policy, strategic studies and international relations theory. His most recent publications have been in the areas of energy security, power relations in the Asia Pacific, security in the former Soviet space, and Australian strategic policy.
Dr Ted Gott is Senior Curator of International Art at the National Gallery of Victoria, and one of the curators of the 2015 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great. After studying at the University of Melbourne, the British Museum, Northwestern University and the Art Institute of Chicago, he previously worked at the Robert Holmes-à-Court Collection, Heide Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Australia. He has curated and co-curated 25 exhibitions, including The Impressionists: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay (2004), Kiss of the Beast: From Paris Salon to King Kong (2005), Modern Britain 1900-1960 (2007), Salvador Dalí: Liquid Desire (2009) and Napoleon: Revolution to Empire (2012).
Amanda Smith is one of ABC Radio National’s Melbourne-based presenters. She currently presents The Body Sphere, a program about anything and everything to do with the human body.
Please note this event will be recorded by ABC Radio National and hosted by Amanda Smith.
Image credit: Alexander ROSLIN, Swedish 1718–93, Portrait of Catherine II 1776–77, oil on canvas 271.0 х 189.5 cm, The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Acquired from the artist, 1777
