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NGV Kids Exhibition images supplied by the NGV 30th November 2023.
RIFIFI: Jean Jullien for Kids has transformed the NGV’s dedicated kids' gallery into a bold and graphic underwater world designed by prodigious French visual artist Jean Jullien. Presented as part of NGV Triennial 2023, RIFIFI: Jean Jullien for Kids is an NGV-exclusive presentation and is the first time Jullien has exhibited in Australia.
Free and on from 3 December 2023 – 7 April 2024.
Free sensory friendly sessions available in January 2024 - see link for details.
Jullien is renowned for his irreverent observations of everyday life, which he captures in an idiosyncratic illustrative style characterised by black brushstrokes and bold block colour. His singular aesthetic has garnered him a cult-like following, including more than 1.2 million dedicated followers on Instagram. His practice traverses painting, illustration, photography, video, costume, installations, books, posters and clothing. In 2016, Jullien launched Nounou with Jae Huh, a Korea-based label producing a wide range of items including clothing, graphic objects, rugs and dolls.
Photo supplied: NGV International
In this inspiring setting, young visitors take part in hands-on activities conveying the importance of protecting the ocean and marine life and a drawing activity where children can be creative and respond to the artist’s imagery drawing their own sea creatures.
Photo supplied: NGV International
Jullien has exhibited extensively around the world, including presentations in Paris, London, Los Angeles, New York and Berlin. Recent exhibitions include a large-scale public installation of sculptural graphic figures at Le Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, France (2020); a joint exhibition with his brother, Nicolas, at Tokyo’s Nanzuka Underground gallery (2023); and a major retrospective at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul (2022). He has created popular illustrations for The New Yorker, The New York Times and The Guardian and recently published his first self-titled monograph with global art book publisher Phaidon.
Inspired by the artist’s childhood trips to the beach and a passion for caring for the marine environment, RIFIFI: Jean Jullien for Kids invites young visitors to engage with and explore an immersive and interactive scenography designed in Jullien’s signature aesthetic. The exhibition will feature unique hands-on activities conveying how children’s actions can protect the ocean and marine life.
Photo supplied: NGV International
A new NGV Kids book Who lives in the sea? is illustrated by Jullien and features some of his favourite ocean inhabitants including sea squirts, sardines, squid, and spotted eels.
Photo supplied: NGV International
RIFIFI: Jean Jullien for Kids is part of NGV Triennial 2023, opening on 3 December. The NGV Triennial 2023 exhibition is a powerful and moving snapshot of the world today as captured through the work of over 120 artists, designers, and collectives at the forefront of global contemporary practice. Uniquely bringing art, design, and architecture into dialogue with one another and traversing all four levels of NGV International, the NGV Triennial features nearly 100 projects including over 25 world-premiere projects commissioned by the NGV.