Arts House is being transformed into a Blak family home for a bit thing, a free exhibition opening 27 June.
The world premiere installation is led by curator Dr Paola Balla and co-created with her children Rosie Kalina and Katen Balla. a bit thing invites audiences into the North Melbourne Town Hall to explore a fully realised intergenerational household, complete with bedrooms, communal living areas and an outdoor gathering space called the Blakyard. Artworks are embedded throughout a detailed domestic setting shaped by memory, humour and familial warmth.
Family photos, books, textiles, protest materials and pop-cultural references appear alongside contemporary art in every room. A central kitchen and living room sit at the heart of the home, encouraging visitors to slow down, put the kettle on and stick around.
a bit thing
- 27 June – 18 July 2026
- Mon – Fri, 10am – 4pm
- Sat, 11am – 3pm
- Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
- Free exhibition, booking required for public program events
Public program:
- Opening event with curators talk and tour, 2pm, 27 June
- Workshop: Painting with Paola, 12pm, 4 July
- NAIDOC Week: Blakyard Feed, Yarns and Koorioke, 6pm, 10 July
- Audio described tactile tour, 11am, 11 July
- Yarns and Damper with Aunty Margie Tang, 12:30pm, 11 July
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Each room within the installation carries its own character. Rosie’s space is a vivid, sensory-rich world full of colour and youthful energy, while Katen’s becomes an archive of photographs and sound exploring family history through a personal lens.
The exhibition is accompanied by a public program curated by all three artists across the season. Events include a painting workshop led by Paola, yarning circles, shared meals and Koorioke during NAIDOC Week, extending the work’s focus on joy, cultural knowledge and connection across generations.
The Blakyard serves as an open-air extension of the home where several of these activations unfold, positioning the installation not just as an artwork but as a communal social space. An audio described tactile tour and a yarns and damper session with Aunty Margie Tang round out the program.
For more information, head here.
