On the Mornington Peninsula, the private gallery at Elgee Park continues its quietly ambitious exhibition program with Study Storage, a captivating display that invites audiences to explore artworks rarely seen by the public.
Now in its fourth major exhibition since the winery’s transformation into a gallery space in 2020, Study Storage steps away from themed curation or solo artist focus. Instead, it offers an eclectic and evocative selection of works spanning a wide range of mediums, periods, and styles. This exhibition embraces variety over uniformity, showcasing everything from timeworn prints to contemporary sculpture, formal portraiture to whimsical abstraction.
The title, Study Storage, borrows from a term used by galleries and museums to describe spaces where stored works are made accessible to researchers, students, and the public. These “visible storage” areas are usually part archive, part display—functional spaces that prioritise openness and discovery over polish and narrative. Elgee Park’s gallery brings that concept into a formal exhibition setting, allowing audiences to encounter artworks that may otherwise remain unseen, tucked away in archives or private storage.
This is not an exhibition about clarity or categorisation. Rather, it celebrates the unpredictable nature of collecting and the rich, tangled histories artworks accrue over time. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints sit side by side without explanation or hierarchy. Some are worn, their surfaces marked by age, while others appear startlingly fresh, as if completed just days ago. Each piece, regardless of its origin or condition, contributes to a broader dialogue of artistic expression and visual storytelling.
Among the more striking inclusions are delicate animal studies and sporting scenes—foxed, faded, and full of charm. There are also dynamic small-scale sculptures brimming with texture and vitality, alongside stately portraits that offer glimpses of lived histories and relationships. A subtle nod to Indigenous Australian art is also present, providing a hint of the deeper collecting interests that lie beyond this exhibition’s current scope.
Study Storage thrives in its refusal to present a fixed curatorial lens. It is a visual archive—open, fluid, and inviting. For visitors, this presents a rare opportunity to slow down, look closely, and make unexpected connections between disparate works. The result is a uniquely democratic encounter with art, where curiosity leads the way.
This exhibition will be on display during ANAMs performance at Elgee Park, offering audiences the chance to immerse themselves in both visual and musical beauty in a single afternoon.
Experience a delightful chamber music concert performed by ANAM musicians, surrounded by the artworks of Study Storage.
From 1.30pm, guests can enjoy a complimentary wine tasting and access a cash bar, followed by a 2.30pm performance including arrangement of Erki Satie’s intriguing Gymnopédies, Lou Harrison’s concerto for flute and percussion and the ever-beautiful Clarinet Quintet by Brahms.
After the concert, guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary afternoon tea and the chance to taste and purchase Elgee Park wines.
Words by Evan Lawson.
First published in volume 55 of Music Makers.
ANAM at Elgee Park: Autumn
Saturday 24 May 2pm
Erik SATIE Trois Gymnopédies, No. 1 (1888) arranged for 2 percussionists and clarinet Lent et douloureux
Lou HARRISON First Concerto for Flute and Percussion (1939)
Erik SATIE Trois Gymnopédies, No. 3 (1888) arranged for 2 percussionists and cello iii. Lent et grave
Johannes BRAHMS Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115 (1891)
ANAM Musicians
Venue Elgee Park
Tickets $50 Standard, $35 Concession