Whose Paradise?: Banyule City Gallery

Jill Orr

6 Feb - 12 Apr 2026

As part of our ongoing celebration of Heidelberg School masterpieces – on long-term loan from the National Gallery of Australia as part of Sharing the National Collection – we have invited leading Australian artists to enter into a critical dialogue with this treasured heritage.

Whose Paradise? by Jill Orr presents a meditation on the idea of progress, weaving contemporary vision into the fabric of history. Her photographs are placed in conversation with Heidelberg School paintings (also on display), creating a layered narrative where past ideals and current interests converge.

The colonial occupation of Australia gave opportunities to millions of people in the hope of a ‘promised land’. However, by contrast, First Nations peoples and places continue to experience the consequences.

The establishment of Australia could be seen through the lens of progress at all costs. This lens is a construction that cannot describe what that lies outside that narrow frame, just as the camera only sees the point of focus and the surrounds remain unseen.

Opening night
Join us for opening night of this exhibition on 7 February from 6-8pm.

Art Gallery 275
Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub
275 Upper Heidelberg Road
Ivanhoe VIC