Australia’s major galleries, with the odd exception, have generally conducted their exhibition programs to show that fanfare for blockbusters is reserved for exhibitions that come from somewhere other than Australia. The die was cast long ago. In the past thirty years, temporary exhibitions have increasingly consumed the lives of public galleries – and blockbusters represent the embodiment of this phenomenon.

These were born out of serious curatorial endeavour, but also include brilliant quirks of serendipity. One good trait is excellent relations with museums with an eye for loan fees and closing for renovations; and there’s the occasional shameless act of cultural profiteering. One of my favourite cartoons appeared in the New Yorker years ago: a sketchy view of the Metropolitan Museum, with a large banner stretched between the entry columns: Masterpieces from the Golden Age of Tax Deductible Contributions. Cynical? Sure – but it says a lot about the complexity of exhibitions. Some of the best big shows have come from ideas built from the strengths of the institutions themselves – both the collections and their staff. In recent years, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has done this better than most, especially with Asian Art. Goddess Divine Energy (AGNSW, 2007) was the most intelligent historical exhibition in Australia in recent years.