Now or Never 2024

21 — 31 AUGUST 2025
MELBOURNE / NARRM 21 — 31 AUGUST 2025

Curated Collections

Freebie Finder

Living large, spending little.

  • Einder

    Boris Acket

    Look up, the roaring sea meets the sky in an aerial dance.

    Melbourne Town Hall

    Thu 21 Aug
    Sat 23 Aug — Sun 24 Aug

  • A foggy, heavily red-toned image of the sea horizon. There are dark shadows/clouds in the top left hand corner that represent mystery.

    Burdi Burdi

    Dr Christian Thompson AO

    A sonic installation of Bidjara language, memory and resilience.

    Evan Walker Bridge

    Thurs 21 Aug — Sun 31 Aug

  • DELIRI

    Hamill Industries

    State Library Victoria morphs with an algorithm-driven audio-visual hallucination.

    State Library Victoria

    Thu 21 Aug — Sun 31 Aug

  • MATRIA

    Penique Productions

    MATRIA transforms the Royal Exhibition Building with a towering, undulating pink membrane that envelops the audience in a breathing organic bubble.

    Royal Exhibition Building

    Thu 21 Aug — Sun 24 Aug

  • A large tape recorder-esque machine sits on a small black table, two tattooed hands are grabbing it. There is a pair of black headphones resting on top.

    Listening Acts | Installations

    Rebecca Bracewell, Hannah de Feyter, Anna Liebzeit, Monica Lim, Tamara Saulwick with Peter Knight, Thembi Soddell

    How do technologies mediate and transform our experience of sound?

    Melbourne Recital Centre

    Fri 22 — Sun 24 Aug

  • Alcove LTD

    Encor Studio

    An optical illusion of light and sound that questions the concept of isolation, reflects on the mutation of spaces, and looks beyond appearances.

    Melbourne Town Hall Forecourt

    Thurs 14 Aug — Sun 31 Aug

  • A screen that shows a collage in the style Microsoft ClipArt featuring Julia Roberts looking to the right, a Roman statue, a patterned floor carpet (similar to one you'd find in a casino) and a continental breakfast buffet. These images are all presented against a galaxy background with text overlay saying 'It's a Vibe'. On the bottom right of the image, there is an Auslan Interpreter and the presenter.

    Queer PowerPoint

    Xanthe Dobbie, Harriet Gillies, Thom Smyth

    Witness queer artists transform Microsoft's most mundane medium into a funny riot of hot takes, cooked theories, and gloriously gay revelations.

    Fed Square – The Edge

    Fri 29 Aug

  • A performer with a microphone and dj set performs to a crowd. They are in front of a screen that appears to have code - which may correlate to their performance, and also features many trees on the projection.

    Friday Night Social: DISTRACTION

    STATHIS//DAVEY//KIM, Nū with live visuals by Mel Huang, noom, Melody Woodnutt, ButohOUT!

    For one night only, DISTRACTION goes late for Now or Never, with live art, sonic serenity and a free party built for your short attention span.

    Science Gallery Melbourne

    Fri 29 Aug

  • A child holds their hands up behind a green-lit screen, you can only see their shadow against a pool of green light. A red light shines on the left-hand side and a blue on the lower left hand side. There is a floating bucket in front of the screen the child is behind with a large wire-esque string.

    Sonic Labyrinth

    Aviva Endean with Justin Marshall & children at ArtPlay

    Discover hidden sounds and cosmic hums in an immersive installation designed for explorers aged 5-13.

    ArtPlay

    Thu 21 — Sun 24 Aug
    Thu 28 — Sun 31 Aug

View full program

CURATED COLLECTIONS

Not sure where to start? We got you covered.

Deep Listeners

Moritz von Oswald sits casually on a chair, wearing a navy blue suit, in his studio. It's filled with art deco furniture and hifi music listening equipment.

Savouring every second, reflecting deeply on experience and sound.

The Explorer

Laurel Halo stands against a grainy blue/grey gradient wearing a grey suit and white shirt. Her vibrant red hair flies out to the side and swoops over her face. Her left hand is in her pocket, casually.

Pushing boundaries and embracing the unknown. Adventure calls.

The Moodmaxxer

A droid (similar to RD2D) poses standing with their legs crossed over and their right hand lifted to the sky, similar to vogueing. They are in a complete white space standing on a podium.

Knowing how to elevate the energy. Nothing but good vibes here.