The Banks are Burning

The Banks are Burning centres on Gary Carsley's 1986 artwork of the same name, originally commissioned as a backdrop for New York's influential club The Limelight.

Created during the uncertainty and fear of the AIDS crisis, Carsley's work captures the energy and urgency that defined a generation of queer expression.

Recontextualised within Artbank's collection, The Banks are Burning becomes both a tribute and a provocation, drawing a connection between the artwork's title and the 'bank' of works in the Artbank collection, to the heat and pulse of the dance floor.

This exhibition explores the nightclub as a space of transformation, performance and community.

It celebrates the cultural legacy of Australian LGBTQIA+ artists, and their allies, and the connection between art, identity and the spaces where we come together.

Artbank Melbourne 5 February - 2 April 2026
Tuesday - Friday 10am - 4pm or by appointment.
Where: Artbank Melbourne, 18-24 Down Street Collingwood
Melbourne Projects Space

Opening Night
Midsumma Festival - The Banks Are Burning
When: Thursday 5 February, 2026
Time: 5 - 7pm
RSVP via HUMANITIX or rsvps@artbank.gov.au



Happens: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Time: By appointment (Monday - Friday)



 Artbank Melbourne View Venue
 18 - 24 Down Street  Collingwood Victoria  Map



Advertiser: www.artbank.gov.au

→ www.artbank.gov.au

→ Artbank Sydney

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