Last year’s biggest political moments, illustrated. Welcome to Behind The Lines 2023, where no one is safe.
Behind The Lines, Australia’s premier national political cartooning exhibition, is set to return to the Old Treasury Building in mid-March.
Over 40 of Australia’s sharpest comics and illustrators will have their artworks mantled for the event’s 2023 instalment, breaking down the ‘fun and games’ of Parliament’s past year in typical satirical fashion.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Developed by Australia’s Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House (MoAD for short) in Canberra, the collection is set to host more than 100 cartoonish takes on the state of the nation, pulling from a diverse selection of emerging and established Australian artists.
Behind The Lines’ theme for 2023 is All Fun and Games – a name chosen to represent not only the absurd games of politics that have taken place in the past year but also how they’ve played out in tandem with the Australian media.
Nothing sells the premise stronger than MoAD’s illustration for the event, in which the figures of Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, and many more unleash childish force onto a pinata laden to the brim with chocolate money, a nuclear submarine, a Robodebt totem and more.
All Fun and Games
There’s no denying that last year was a turbulent time for Australians, as was the landscape of Australian politics.
Between rising international tensions, the continual existential threat of climate change, the Voice referendum and the cost of inflation, there’s been a lot on our country’s plate in the past twelve months.
As always, Behind The Lines serves as an opportunity for cartoonists across the country to reach out to the public – exploring Australia’s challenge and complexity with an approachable jest.
MoAD Director Stephanie Bull is as excited as ever for 2023’s exhibition to reach Melbourne.
“Political cartoons are an important part of our democracy. They make it fun and accessible for everyone to discuss and debate the news and ideas of the day. They help encourage discussion and understanding in diverse communities across the country,” she said.
“We strive to enable and inspire audiences to explore how social and political conversations are shaping an evolving Australia and equip them to participate as engaged citizens wherever they live in our nation.”
Behind The Lines has been generously supported this year by the Australian government’s National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program.
Life Imitates Art
Named 2023 Political Cartoonist Of The Year is the well-established Fiona Katauskas – a sterling highlight of the collection.
Her work’s been seen from The Guardian to the Sydney Morning Herald and everywhere in between for good reason: Katauskas ties together vivid abstraction with an underlying empathy that pokes and prods at the true intentions behind party promises.
Her award-winning 2023 output finds an opportunity for shared truth and acknowledgement within a variety of pain points, with a breadth that reaches climate change panic, concerns around artificial intelligence, and the omnipresent pressure tied to the current cost-of-living crisis.
Other collections on show group different national issues. ‘How low can you go?’ peers into the findings of last July’s National Anti-Corruption Commission. ‘Pass the interest rate parcel’ examines rising interest rates. ‘Who’s a duck, duck goose…?’ covers cartoonists with a focus on international news.
Behind The Lines will soon find a temporary home at Melbourne’s Old Treasury Building from March 24 to May 24 (times are privy to the museum’s official website). It’s a free exhibition; those worrying about the cost-of-living crisis will have a prime opportunity to laugh about it instead… while you’re there, at least.
Learn more about Behind The Lines 2023, including featured cartoonists and illustrations, here.
The Behind the Lines travelling exhibition from the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House is proudly supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program (NCITO), an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.
This article was made in partnership with the Old Treasury Building.
