Australian and International Conventions

Acquiring and Borrowing Cultural Material

A large spherical sculpture hanging from large wires in the sky is visible through a gap in tree branches

The National Gallery adheres to the principles of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The obligations and principles under this treaty are reflected in the international and Australian codes of museum ethics that the National Gallery subscribes to.

The National Gallery is also subject to Australian legislation including the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986. In 2014 the Ministry for the Arts released the Australian Best Practice Guide to Collecting Cultural Material. The guide outlines the legal obligations and ethical standards to which Australia’s public collecting institutions should adhere when acquiring and borrowing cultural material. The National Gallery is committed to ensuring the guidelines are followed.

Related

Provenance

Understanding where our collection comes from.

Talks & Lectures /  Video

Politics of Performance with Joel Bray, S.J Norman & Darrell Sibosado

screenshot of a video still showing a neon light artwork installed in a gallery space

Published 05 April 2022

Ceremony artists and curator Hetti Perkins come together for a panel discussion on First Nations perspectives on contemporary performance practices.

59 minutes

Policies & Plans

the edge of a large concrete brutalist building against a blue sky with a giant spherical sculpture suspended in the air

The functions, policies and plans of the National Gallery, the Commonwealth of Australia's national cultural institution for the visual arts.

Provenance

European & American Art Provenance Project
1933–1945

Painting of a grassy path through a village

Investigation into the provenance of artwork presumed to have been in Europe between 1933 and 1945. Do you have information about any of these works?

Provenance

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Provenance Project

Painting of native grasses after the rain in pink, yellow, black, and white.

We apply the highest ethical standards to safeguard and protect the cultural property of art by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

Provenance

Gallery Policies

A large metal sculpture of an Indigenous Australian fish trap is hanging from the ceiling in a large gallery foyer

Detailed information on policies relating to acquiring and exhibiting works of art at the National Gallery.

Asian Art Provenance Project

Photograph of women walking in front of large colourful painting by Rodel Tapaya.

The National Gallery’s Asian Art Provenance Project, has resulted in deaccession and repatriation of a number of works to their countries of origin.

Provenance and Due Diligence

A man is showing a woman images on a piece of paper in an art conservation laboratory

The National Gallery of Australia is committed to only acquiring and exhibiting works of art in line with the highest standards of due diligence.

How to Read Provenance Information

Photograph of woman seated at table with laptop and archival material surrounding her

Charting the changes in ownership of a work of art depends on documents such as wills, archives, receipts, auction sales and dealers' receipts.