Hobart Current: Here
The City of Hobart and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) are excited to announce the creative team leading the third Hobart Current exhibition program, scheduled to run from November 2025 to April 2026.
For the first time, a Tasmanian creative director has been engaged, with the role shared to extend the reach across various art forms and artists.
Travis Tiddy, after 15 years leading the Unconformity festival on Tasmania’s West Coast, will jointly take the reins at Hobart Current with Denise Robinson, the first palawa person to direct the exhibition.
Travis says of his new appointment to this role "I'm excited to dive into the third edition of Hobart Current, working alongside Denise, whose contemporary art practice and relational insights I deeply admire."
"Directing The Unconformity for over a decade has given me a profound appreciation for the way art connects people to place. Now, focusing on Hobart Current feels like the right step at the right time, and aligns perfectly with my interest in creating meaningful and immersive place-based experiences."
Denise Robinson has over 30 years of experience in arts management and is deeply committed to supporting Aboriginal creative practices in Tasmania.
"Having worked with Travis for many years in his role at The Unconformity, I am thrilled that we have this opportunity to come together on such an epic project as Hobart Current."
"I'm particularly interested in connectivity and ways of working between institutions and artists, fostering dialogue, exchange and collaboration that reimagines how we work collectively and meaningfully."
Theme
The theme for Hobart Current 2025 is Here which will be the provocation for the artists to respond to and feature works from up to 10 artists, including a First Nations artist and six from Tasmania.
Travis and Denise say their rationale for Hobart Current: Here "invites artists and audiences to reflect on what it means to be 'here' in this time and place. It is a multidimensional program which brings together diverse perspectives about who we are in this moment, globally and in Lutruwita/Tasmania."
"'Here' often slips into conversation to mark our movements – 'I'm here now', 'get out of here', or 'nice to be here'. In its simplicity it connects people and place. In contrast, 'we are here' asserts presence, while 'the here and now' emphasises the importance of a moment."
"At this time and place, Hobart Current: Here encourages artists to explore what 'here' means to them, through curiosity, experimentation and collaboration, with process and gathering being just as vital as the final work."
The exhibition program will span five months, showcasing artworks in both the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) and public spaces across the city.
Artists
Following a rigorous and considered process, the City of Hobart and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery are proud to announce the participating artists for Hobart Current: Here.