Galleries ‘should save their best for last’

Hanging artworks for a major exhibition is more often an exercise in storytelling than a judgment about beauty.

National Gallery of Australia’s assistant director of curatorial and programs, Natasha Bullock, likes to plot a ”journey” from one object to the next or from one room to another a little like a storybook.

“I think about the viewer in terms of accessibility, ensuring the ideas are clear, the language is inclusive and the artworks are presented for an optimum viewing experience,” Bullock says. “For example, not cluttering walls with too many works or spaces with too many objects to navigate. The arc of an exhibition or its narrative can also determine how an artwork is displayed and sometimes an artwork will only fit in a particular space so the question of preference is obsolete.”