Monash University

Exhibitions

MUMA presents exhibitions of contemporary art by Australian and international artists. Focusing on curatorial research and commissioning, the program includes significant solo artist projects, thematic responses to current issues and exhibitions that contribute to shaping the recent history of art.

Public Programs

Public Programs include lectures, talks, workshops, symposia, screenings and events presented for students and the wider community, connecting people, art and ideas. Varied programs bring audiences into closer contact with artists and researchers, creating spaces for discussion and participation.

Education

MUMA Education engages students and teachers through tailored programs drawing on current exhibitions and the Monash University Collection. Trained educators and artists connect students to art in meaningful ways, promoting creative thinking and critical problem-solving skills. MUMA acknowledges the diversity of all children and provides a child safe environment.

MUMA Placeholder image 2024

Art Deco Australia

Dates:
12 September – 5 October 1983

Curator:
Elaine Merkus

Location:
Exhibition Gallery
Monash University, Clayton Campus

About the exhibition
Art Deco? Australia, curated by Elaine Merkus, incorporated immersive and ambient techniques in its exhibition design, including to-scale photographs of room interiors clad with art deco design motifs as backdrop to original pieces of furniture, objects, paintings and sculpture placed in the gallery. While art deco emerged in the French decorative arts of the 1920s, it attracted a resurgence of interest in the 1980s. Indeed, the period style had been described as having an ‘unusually strong’ presence in Australian art and architecture, and it was this lasting influence on artists that Merkus sought to highlight.

Reference: Daniel Thomas, ‘Art Deco in Australia’, Art and Australia, vol. 9, no. 4, March 1972, p. 228.

MUMA Online Exhibition Archive
MUMA’s online archive is expanding. We welcome your feedback and input. Please contact muma.communications@monash.edu with any information that could help enrich the archive for future audiences.

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners and Elders—past, present and emerging—of the lands on which Monash University operates. We acknowledge Aboriginal connection to material and creative practice on these lands for more than 60,000 years.

Authorised by: Museum Director. Maintained by: Monash University Museum of Art Webmaster Team Last updated: Oct 2025. Copyright © 2026 Monash University Museum of Art. ABN 12 377 614 012 Accessibility - Disclaimer and copyright - Privacy, Monash University CRICOS Provider Number: 00008C.