Avatar Forms of Vishnu
Discover a realm of wonder, drama and divine beauty
Avatar Forms of Vishnu
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Naala Badu building
Lower level 2
Adult $35 / $37*
Concession $32 / $34*
Member $30 / $32*
Youth (12–17 years) $10
Free for children under 12 and companion card holders
MobTix (available to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and First Nations people) $10
Family (2 adults + up to 3 youth) $80
Flexi ticket (un-dated single entry) $45
2-for-1 tickets on Wednesday nights, 5–10pm
Combine and save: add on an Archibald Prize exhibition ticket and save up to 15%
Early morning sessions available daily
9.30am access (before the Art Gallery opens) and guided tour
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*Weekend and public holiday ticket price
This captivating exhibition brings together centuries of art and storytelling from South and Southeast Asia celebrating Vishnu, the Hindu deity who preserves order in the universe.
Avatar, meaning ‘descent’ in Sanskrit, describes the many forms Vishnu takes to descend from the heavens to restore balance on earth. In sculpture, painting, textiles and photographs, the exhibition traces the ways artists have envisioned Vishnu’s various avatars, including Matsya the fish, Kurma the tortoise, the beloved Krishna, the noble prince Rāma, and Kalki, the future avatar who will bring renewal.
Brimming with tales of heroism, love and devotion, the exhibition presents exceptional historical and contemporary art from renowned collections in Australia, India, Cambodia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It also includes work by contemporary artists Gitanjali Das, Kalyan Joshi, Jumaadi, Desmond Lazaro, Kalam Patua, Nalini Malani, Pushpamala N, Sumakshi Singh and Satyanarayan Suthar.
With thanks to Dr Chaitanya Sambrani, and the School of Art and Design, Australian National University.
‘In an exhibition tracing 1,500 years of art, Vishnu’s avatars offer tonic for our times.’
– The Conversation
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Visit information and accessibility
Visitors are advised that some artworks contain illustrations of violence drawn from traditional narratives. Viewer discretion is advised.
Bring your own device, with earbuds or headphones, to listen to selected audio labels in the exhibition.
This exhibition contains low lighting. Visitors are encouraged to allow time for their eyes to adjust when entering the gallery.
The exhibition includes an immersive introductory experience featuring a slow-moving animation.
An interactive touchscreen experience is included within the exhibition. The touchscreen features gently paced moving animation, and seating is available.
Bench seating is available.
The works are fragile and must not be touched, unless otherwise indicated. Children under 12 must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
Available free for loan are aids for visitors with low vision, including magnifying glasses and large-print exhibition labels. Please ask staff at the exhibition entry for assistance.
For more information about visiting, including physical access and facilities, see Plan your visit
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Installation view of the Avatar: Forms of Vishnu exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, featuring works by Desmond Lazaro and Cambodian Vishnu statue from the early 800s
India, Raghogarh style Sita offering fruits to Rāma in the Dandaka forest late 1700s (detail), National Museum, New Delhi
Installation view of the Avatar: Forms of Vishnu exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Master of the first generation after Manaku and Nainsukh of Guler Vishnu as Matsya, Vishnu's fish avatar c1775, Museum Rietberg, Zurich
Mahesh of Chamba Varāha avatara, the boar incarnation of Vishnu 1750–75, Museum Rietberg, Zurich
Installation view of Sumakshi Singh’s work Threshold with 13th-century Lakshmi Narasimha sculpture in the Avatar: Forms of Vishnu exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Devidasa Narasimha killing Hiranyakasipu c1690–1700, Art Gallery of New South Wales
East India/Nepal, Figure of Vishnu in the lotus 1100s, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, presented by Mrs Hoey, photo © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Central India Kurma Avatar 18th century, Folio from a series depicting Vishnu's avatars, Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru
Central India Kurma Avatar 18th century, Folio from a series depicting Vishnu's avatars, Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru
Central India Kurma Avatar 18th century, Folio from a series depicting Vishnu's avatars, Museum of Art and Photography, Bengaluru
Installation view of the Avatar: Forms of Vishnu exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, featuring Bangladesh Vishnu with attendants early 1100s
Lotus-clad Radha and Krishna c1700–1710 (detail), Art Gallery of New South Wales
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Note: This display includes works that are protected under the Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Act 2013. More information
The Art Gallery of New South Wales gratefully acknowledges the support of major exhibition patrons the Cindy Chak Yee Huang Fund for female Asian artists, Liz Gibson and Bella and Tim Church, bequest patron Neville Holmes Grace Exhibition Endowment Fund and exhibition patrons David Ellis and Roslyn and Alex Hunyor.
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