On 3rd December 2025, Director of NETS Victoria Claire Watson will co-convene the panel discussion Willful subversions — the future of touring exhibitions? alongside NETS Victoria Chair Bec Cole with panelists Zena Cumpston (Independent curator/artist), Caine Chennet (UTAS) and David Cross (Deakin University) at the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) 2025 Conference Unruly Objects held at the University of Western Australia in Boorloo/Perth.

PANEL TITLE:
Wilful subversions—the future of touring exhibitions?

ABSTRACT
Should touring exhibitions conform to conventional norms or dare to disrupt and disorient cultural expectations? When and where does a touring exhibition become ‘unruly’, and for whom? How can we ensure that the artists’ vision and intent are honoured across various settings, navigating the relationships between the artist, curator, venue and touring organisation? What role do traveling exhibitions play in the broader art ecosystem, and who holds the power to decide which exhibitions tour? How can First Nations cultural safety become a given for touring? As the art world continually evolves, are some methodologies for touring exhibitions becoming relics of a bygone era?

Often dismissed as logistical conveniences that relieve galleries of programming pressures, this presentation will demonstrate that touring projects can be extraordinary and ambitious and challenge preconceptions of what a touring project looks and feels like. They can be dynamic roving conversations that shift and adapt to different contexts, sparking meaningful community engagement and fostering critical dialogue. From participatory artworks that invite visitors to touch, to public billboards and screens that communicate en masse, to site-specific performance art and art that shatters expectations and even gallery walls, spillage may be the new status quo.

Co-convenors:

Bec Cole (she/her)
Research Fellow, Deakin University; Coordinator, Arts, Culture and Local History, Manningham City Council; Chair, NETS Victoria

Claire Watson (she/her)
Director, NETS Victoria; Independent Curator

Panellists:

Zena Cumpston (she/her)
Artist, writer, educator, curator and consultant

Caine Chennatt (he/him)
Director, Curatorial and Cultural Collections, University of Tasmania

David Cross (he/him)
Professor of Visual Arts, Deakin University, Melbourne; NETS Victoria Board Member

Claire Watson (she/her)
Director, NETS Victoria; Independent Curator