Tony Albert: Not a Souvenir, the largest exhibition ever devoted to artist Tony Albert (Girramay, Kuku Yalanji and Yidinji peoples), is now open at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Australia) as its major winter exhibition until 19 October 2026.
Guest curated by renowned Indigenous curator Bruce Johnson McLean (Wierdi people), Tony Albert: Not a Souvenir examines the commodification and misrepresentation of Aboriginal peoples and cultures, past and present, while highlighting survival, resistance and cultural pride.
Bringing together over 150 works from public and private collections across the country, the exhibition spans sculpture, photography, installation, painting and assemblage and includes major new commissions. Tony Albert: Not a Souvenir takes inspiration from the MCA’s location at Tallawoladah on Warrane/Sydney Harbour and the nearby precinct of The Rocks – a site of profound significance as a place of early colonial contact, now synonymous with international tourism and souvenir culture.
At the heart of the exhibition is Albert’s sustained engagement with Aboriginalia – mass‑produced kitsch featuring stereotypical and often racist depictions of Aboriginal peoples. Over 2,500 objects of Aboriginalia from Albert’s personal collection feature in the exhibition. From tea towels and ashtrays to figurines and crockery, these souvenirs circulated widely in twentieth century Australia and continue to be sold today, reducing Indigenous identity to a consumable memento.
Rather than rejecting this material, Albert reclaims and recontextualises it. Through bold text‑based installations, photographic series and complex assemblages, he transforms objects of prejudice into sites of critique and humour, exposing the power structures and cultural myths behind them.
Albert’s relationship to Aboriginalia is deeply personal. Growing up in Meanjin/Brisbane, he began collecting these objects as a child.
‘I rarely saw Aboriginal people: not at the supermarket, not on the bus, not on television, or anywhere I went,’ Albert says. ‘So it was to my great delight, and I am sure my parents’ horror, when I discovered and began collecting from our local second-hand store all the cups, plates, trays, playing cards, statuettes, figurines – anything I could get – that were decorated with images of Aboriginal people.’
Reclaiming these popular images with wit, beauty and force, Albert’s practice responds by asserting self‑representation on his own terms. ‘As an adult now, I see the importance of using these objects to create conversations with people about Aboriginal identity in an inclusive way.’
Suzanne Cotter, Director of MCA Australia, says: ‘Tony Albert’s work has always been about the power of the image to both harm and heal. Not a Souvenir is a radical reimagining of Australia’s complex histories. Most of all, it is a joyful and deeply optimistic exhibition. The Appeal is an invitation for all Australians to play an active role in truth-telling – moving these objects from a place of private discomfort into a public space of creativity and cultural vitality.’
Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper says: ‘Tony Albert is one of Australia’s most exciting contemporary artists, and Not a Souvenir is a remarkable demonstration of his fearless artistic vision and the vitality of Australian art today. The NSW Government is proud to support exhibitions like this that showcase Sydney as a global stage for arts and culture, a city of storytelling for First Nations artists, and Australia’s leading destination for world-class cultural experiences.’
Exhibition highlights include new works commissioned for the exhibition, Albert’s largest text-based work to date, and never-before-seen photographs from Albert’s internationally acclaimed series Warakurna Superheroes. The exhibition is contextualised by an installation of Aboriginalia from Albert’s personal collection, curated by Rebecca Ray, the MCA’s former Curator, First Nations Art.
Aboriginalia Appeal
As part of the exhibition, MCA Australia has launched an Aboriginalia Appeal, inviting the public to donate found, inherited or collected items that feature inauthentic representations of Aboriginal people and cultures created without their consent.
The public is invited to bring Aboriginalia to a dedicated collection point at MCA Australia or send it to the Museum via post. By donating, participants join Tony Albert in his ongoing mission to remove, repurpose and critically reframe these objects, contributing to conversations around Indigenous survival, truth‑telling and cultural pride.
‘I’ve been collecting Aboriginalia since I was a child. And if I had my way, I’d love to take the whole lot of it out of circulation. This isn’t about guilt; it’s about what we do next,’ says artist Tony Albert. ‘It’s about taking these objects and turning them into something that celebrates our survival and our vibrancy as the world’s oldest living culture.’
Public Engagement
A program of artist talks, curator‑led tours and community conversations will accompany the exhibition, creating opportunities for broad audiences to engage deeply with the works and the histories they address.
Publication
A fully illustrated exhibition publication, edited by Liz Nowell and published by Thames & Hudson, will accompany Tony Albert: Not a Souvenir, featuring essays by guest curator Bruce Johnson McLean, filmmaker Warwick Thornton and leading writers and scholars.
