The 'Uber of the art world' is moving closer to Melbourne's heartland in a bid to make masterpieces more accessible to the general public.
Artbank, a government-sponsored program established in 1980 to promote and support Australian artists, has set up shop at Collingwood after spending more than a decade leasing its vast collection from an Armadale showroom.
Arts Minister Mitch Fifield is due to unveil Artbank's new site on Friday, as a local artist hand-paints a giant, geometric mural, ahead of the official public opening on Saturday.
The move to Melbourne's inner-north represents a chance to further break down artistic barriers by offering state-owned pieces for lease in homes and offices across the nation, director Tony Stephens said.
"We seek to reverse the perception that visual art is only for an elite few," he said, adding all revenue raised goes to keeping the program alive.
"(We see) it as a reflection of Australian society that can be engaged with regardless of how much or little you might know about art and art history, telling our stories and commenting on the world around us."
The innovative warehouse, designed by an award-winning architecture studio, will use steel-framed racks to house some of the group's 11,000 works and make them easily accessible.
Australian Associated Press
