A velvet ant, a flower and a bird

A velvet ant, a flower and a bird evokes a garden of knowledge anchored by three familiar figures from nature — a velvet ant, a flower and a bird. These figures represent a parliament of beings, each carrying symbolic and metaphorical weight that encourage us to reimagine what intelligence means.

Each museum floor is presided over by one of these natural entities, creating a kind of garden where there is no pre-established order, but rather an ecosystem in which the analogue and the digital interrelate to give rise to a fantastic mental realm.

Drawing from the University of Melbourne’s Classics, Biology, and Art collections, alongside new commissions and performances; historic and contemporary art co-mingle to envision intelligence as living, continually evolving, interconnected and interdependent.

Guest curated by Professor Dr Chus Martínez, Head of the Institute of Art Gender Nature at the FHNW Academy of Arts and Design, Basel, Switzerland.

Art Museums Papers 03: The continuous creation of life purposes

by Chus Martínez

Edited by Pippa Milne and Linda Michael. Published by Museums and Collections, University of Melbourne. Designed by Paul Mylecharane for Common Room.

$10 each – available to purchase in gallery.

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Exhibition Floors

Learn more about the natural entities presiding over each floor

A velvet ant, a flower and a bird Commissions

Read about the works commissioned exclusively for the exhibition

Meet Miles Howard-Wilks

An Arts Project Australia artist whose long-standing fascination with animals and the natural world comes to life through his latest series.

Events

Guided Tours

Join one of our gallery attendants on a 20- to 30- minute guided tour to explore selected highlights from the exhibition, A velvet ant, a flower and a bird. 

After Hours: A Velvet Ant & Untying Knots In The Sky

A new monthly event series inviting you to experience the gallery differently

Access

Museum Access Guide

Plan your visit to the Potter with wheelchair access, hearing assistance, and friendly staff ready to help.

Artwork Labels

Artwork labels for A velvet ant, a flower and a bird are available to download for use during or after your visit.

Supporters

This exhibition is made possible by

Pro Helvetia: Swiss Arts Council, Danish Arts Foundation, Swedish Arts Council, Embassy of Spain in Canberra, Oxenford Collection, Institute Art Gender Nature, Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary.