Adelaide’s art scene is ever-alive, dynamic, and brimming with creative energy. Aside from the renowned Art Gallery of South Australia and the Samstag Museum that often get the spotlight, there’s a whole other side to the city’s cultural life, all equally independent, experimental, and underground spaces where you can discover work from the most daring and original artists. Want to gallery hop like a local? Here are the top 7 places to enjoy art in Adelaide.
1. ACE Open
Born from the merger of the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia and the Australian Experimental Art Foundation, ACE Open is a hub for contemporary experimentation. Hosting exhibitions, talks, workshops, and events, it gives artists the freedom to innovate and challenge conventions. Located in the Lion Arts Centre on North Terrace, this is where you’ll find thought-provoking, transformative works across multiple disciplines.
2. GAGPROJECTS
For conceptual, cross-disciplinary, and thematically rich work, GAGPROJECTS in 39 Rundle St. delivers. Representing 26 artists, the gallery also runs Phasmid Studios in Berlin. Past exhibitions like Ballenesque and Meditation Sex Music highlight their commitment to pushing boundaries. This is a place for serious art lovers looking for something that challenges expectations.
3. The Mill
Located in Adelaide CBD, The Mill is a creative powerhouse founded by a dancer and a visual artist blends visual art, performance, and community engagement. With 30 resident artists, workshops, residencies, and the Analogue Library photographic facility, The Mill is a launchpad for talent. Expect everything from dance productions to genre-bending exhibitions.
4. FELTspace
An artist-run initiative with a rotating team of co-directors, FELTspace champions emerging and experimental art. Alongside exhibitions, this diverse exhibition centre in 12 Compton St. runs a writers’ program, a buzzing annual art auction, and quirky branded projects like FELTdark (after-hours video art) and FELTnatural (art in Adelaide’s parklands). It’s also the place to be for arty street parties and open-air karaoke.
5. ARTHUR Art Gallery
The first of its kind in Adelaide, ARTHUR is more than a bar–and definitely not what you expect an art gallery to be. A huge Avant Garde Art Deco building in 66 Currie Street, there are 2 floors to explore, offering an ever-changing line up of creative, collaborative, immersive events. ARTHUR is where imagination is both explored and expressed, whether it’s through live music, interactive performances, and immersive art installations. You never know what you will see, but be on the lookout for an amazing night out unlike anything in Adelaide.
6. JamFactory
JamFactory at 19 Morphett St is a renowned South Australian arts organisation focusing on contemporary craft and design. Aiming to inspire visitors and extend contemporary craft and design into new markets, they have four studios in Adelaide: ceramics, glass, furniture, and jewellery. Enjoy curated exhibitions by local and international craftspeople, or have hands-on experience participating in the daily glass blowing workshop to immerse yourself in the mesmerising world of glass.
7. The Little Machine
A space for contemporary and experimental art, The Little Machine has been operating in Regent Arcade since January 2023, fostering concept-driven exhibitions and curatorial experimentation. Their latest exhibition, Soft Return, brings together works that are sprawling, dense, joyful, and deliberately chaotic–serving an unruly gathering of practices, materials, and ideas. Be on the lookout for future exhibitions that emulate the same passion for contemporary art and beyond.
Why Adelaide’s Art Scene Stands Out
Adelaide offers a unique balance of affordable living compared to Melbourne or Sydney, yet buzzing with world-class creativity. That means more opportunities for up-and-coming artists and more discoveries for curious visitors. Hunting for bold experimental pieces, multidisciplinary collaborations, or the next big name in Australian art? Adelaide is the city which has just the space for you.
Get ready to dive into the thriving creative undercurrent of South Australia’s capital. Who knows, you might stumble across the next great gallery before the rest of the world catches on.