The University of Melbourne has today unveiled nightshifts, a contemplative new group exhibition considering the importance of solitude through contemporary arts practice. Presented at Buxton Contemporary from 26 May to 29 October 2023, the large-scale exhibition features more than 30 works drawn from the University of Melbourne’s art collection, alongside two new commissions.

Curated by Hannah Presley and Annika Aitken, nightshifts looks to the shadows and ‘after hours’ as metaphors for the work and thinking that happens beneath the surface, away from the public gaze: time alone in the studio, during the quiet of the night and while asleep. Spanning a range of themes, histories and media, the exhibition offers a meditative counterpoint to the recurring emphasis on collaboration and hyper-visibility in contemporary curatorial practice.