Contemporary art in historic sites: why do we love them?

From boutique hotel art fairs to regional festivals, there is a huge appetite for contemporary art in historic venues.

The concept of presenting contemporary art in historic and heritage venues isn’t especially new, but it seems that this juxtaposition continues to draw crowds, generate excitement and ignite new conversations.

The reasons behind this are multifold. Institutions such as galleries and museums are inviting contemporary artists to interrogate the colonial legacy of sites, thus bringing to light marginalised voices. The practice also drives new audiences and creates new opportunities for engagement.

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Celina Lei is an arts writer and editor at ArtsHub. She acquired her M.A in Art, Law and Business in New York with a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne. She has previously worked across global art hubs in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York in both the commercial art sector and art criticism. She took part in drafting NAVA’s revised Code of Practice - Art Fairs and was the project manager of ArtsHub’s diverse writers initiative, Amplify Collective. Celina is based in Naarm/Melbourne.