Ron Mueck: Encounter brings an unparalleled selection of the acclaimed Australian artist’s sculptures exclusively to Sydney.
Since revitalising figurative sculpture in the late 1990s with his exquisitely crafted realism, Melbourne-born Mueck continues his profound observation of human experience and emotion. His captivating figures, scaled from the monumental to the minute, embody themes such as birth and death, alienation, and togetherness, tenderly inviting us to explore our relationship with the world.
At the centre of the exhibition is Havoc, a new immersive work featuring a group of larger-than-life fighting dogs, created especially for this moment. Oversized, yet charged with a quiet, unsettling intensity, Havoc invites viewers into a space that is at once intimate and ominous.
This exhibition encourages audiences to connect with Mueck’s sculptures through encounters that feel viscerally physical. Drawing the artist’s past sculptures into dialogue with the new, the show reflects on the sensitivity and significance of Mueck’s work within our tense contemporary times.
A Sydney exclusive, Ron Mueck: Encounter marks the artist’s most significant solo exhibition in Australia in over a decade, and his first in Sydney since 2003.
DATE: Tuesday 17 February 2026
TIME: 9.30am -11.30am
VENUE: Art Gallery NSW, Naala Badu building, lower ground floor.
ADDRESS: Art Gallery Rd, The Domain Sydney NSW 2000
MEETING PLACE: Welcome Hub in the outdoor Welcome Plaza of Naala Badu, (the new building)
Time: 9.20am for a 9.30am private tour by AGNSW Experienced Lead Guides.
TOUR DURATION – 45 – 60 minutes
COST OF GUIDED TOUR:
- $55: Adult rate
- $50: Seniors Concession rate
- $43 NSW Art Gallery Members (please advise your membership number)
- Note: As from September 2025 the AGNSW charges a $5 surcharge pp for tours commencing prior to the Gallery opening time. This surcharge is included in your payment rate.
SOMETHING NEW FOR 2026!
MORNING TEA (Optional) We have the opportunity to enjoy morning tea after the tour, in the Café, in an area dedicated to SWIC only (this will remove the frustration of trying to find table/s together so we can sit and chat after the tour).
The cost is an additional $16.80 per person and includes the following:
Mini muffins (gf), frittata of the day (gf), Batch-brewed Single O coffee and tea selection and Filtered Water on tables.
If you would like to join us, please add this to the price of your participation in this month’s event. If you have dietary requirements, let us know when you RSVP.
RSVP TO: Shelley Fredman
RSVP prior to payment.
RSVP BY: February 5
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Payment Option 1: By Credit Card through the Payments section of the website
Payment Option 2: Online (direct deposit) into the SWIC bank account
Account Name: SWIC Inc.
BSB No: 062-005
Account No: 11889493
Description: Event + your initial and surname
TRANSPORT
By Car: Limited metered street parking; Pay Parking: Domain Parking Station
By Bus: Please check the Transport NSW website or use CityMapper app for the timetable for the 441 bus: This bus departs from the York Street side of the Queen Victoria Building (Stand D) and drops off near the Art Gallery. It returns to the Queen Victoria Building, picking up outside the Art Gallery.
By Train: The closest train stations are St James and Martin Place, both about a 10-minute walk to the Gallery.
PS: Please remember to look at NSW Art Gallery Lecture Series, held Wednesday evenings and Thursday lunchtimes to see which ones interest you. Book/pay directly with the Gallery, and email Shelley your list – you’ll be contacted with the names of other SWIC members attending and can organise to meet up for a coffee/drink/meal.
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/events/art-appreciation-2026-in-gallery
