Art of the City – Adelaide features significant artworks and objects that provide a fascinating insight into Adelaide’s ongoing reconciliation journey and the significant social and artistic transformations of our city over time.

Art, in its many forms, is a powerful medium to explore new ideas and express our collective identity. It can inspire curiosity, connect people across generations, socio-economic backgrounds and build resilient communities.

Located on Kaurna Yerta, the Traditional Country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains, Adelaide is one of the most liveable cities in the world. The world’s only city entirely surrounded by Park Lands thanks to the extraordinary vision of Colonel Light for a city that enriches its people’s wellbeing and quality of life. And meandering through this metropolis, the Karrawirra Pari / River Torrens has been a meeting place for all since the Kaurna people gathered for ceremonies to dance, sing and tell stories.

Established in 1836, Adelaide has a unique history – being the only Australian Capital city not settled by convicts, rather, the city was a planned capital for free British settlers.

Throughout history, Adelaide has been at the centre of forward-thinking. It was the first Australian city to give women access to vote, and the first in the world to allow women to stand for parliament, the first to recognise Aboriginal land rights, as well as criminalise sexual and racial discrimination.

A city of churches, a city of pubs, a city which had the first major arts festival in Australia. A city full of quiet achievers and incredible success stories, many of which are told through art.

What is contained in this beautiful boxed set is only a very small glimpse of the collections to be found in our city and we hope that each card might start you on your own Adelaide adventure.

To choose artworks representative of a city’s history was no mean feat and I sincerely thank the significant panel of curatorial experts and the contributions of all who were involved in its development.

I am proud to have partnered with the State Government through Arts South Australia and InReview to present this bespoke publication.

I invite you to explore, learn, play and discover Adelaide through these 100+ artworks that define our city.

Sandy Verschoor
Lord Mayor of Adelaide

To pre-order your box, simply email [email protected]m.au and we will get back to you with the details closer to the publication date in April 2022.