Three premier cultural institutions in Sydney, Australia, have formed a partnership with the aim of establishing a major new exhibition surveying the latest ideas and forms in contemporary Australian art.

Called The National: New Australian Art, the partnership between the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), will span six years with three editions presented in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The partnership will connect Sydney’s three major culture precincts – The Domain, Redfern and Circular Quay – with the aim of adding a new element to Sydney’s calendar of major arts and cultural events.

The exhibition will be a single curated programme across the three landmark Sydney institutions, enabling a strategic approach to programming through collaboration. Local artists will be presented among well-known national peers, bringing some of Australia’s premier art to the city.

The collaboration between the three institutions will continue between exhibition periods, with a focus on generating meaningful encounters with artists, participatory experiences and digital content.

“This major new initiative highlights what Sydney’s leading art institutions do best, that is, create a vibrant cultural life for the city and state,” said Michael Brand, Art Gallery of New South Wales director.

“It’s fantastic that through this partnership, colleagues across all three institutions are working with Australian artists at various stages of their careers to create dynamic displays of art that also express the individual voice of each institution.”