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Public space is always in flux, shaped not only by policy and planning, but also by protest, improvisation, and the rhythms of everyday life. Change might be gradual, like service lanes becoming café-filled laneways, or temporary, like street parties or guerrilla gardens. Often, uses overlap, such as the flight of stairs that is both a commuter’s shortcut and a skateboarder’s playground.
For the upcoming exhibition Rehearsing the City, opening at the VAC Gallery in May 2026, we reflect on public space as a stage, a place where meaning is constantly performed, contested, and redefined. The exhibition will present archival photographs from Victoria’s government collections that capture moments when the urban environment was reimagined or repurposed, alongside new work by contemporary street photographers across Victoria responding to how space is used today.
Our call-out for photographers is now open! For more information: https://prov.vic.gov.au/vac-gallery-2026-call-submissions
Location
Victorian Archives Centre Gallery
99 Shiel Street
North Melbourne
Image Gallery
The "Better Farming Train" travelled through Victoria in the 1930s providing demonstrations on farming and household skills. With the carriage as the classroom, the program used public transport infrastructure to decease isolation and bring communities together.
Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.
PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples
