Exhibitions and events

Explore our current and past exhibitions

Illustration of a group of large mythical figures, chained to rock and looking on mortals below.
Canto XXXI The Titians, Gustave Doré, Dante Alighieri's Inferno, 1857, Rare Books Collection

Epic and Divine: Dante's World

Exhibition, Noel Shaw Gallery, Level 1,  Baillieu Library

3 March - 26 June 2022

The Noel Shaw Gallery is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 5pm, Saturday & Sunday

Epic and Divine: Dante’s World is a celebration of the life and works of Dante Alighieri. Drawn from the University of Melbourne’s Archives and Special Collections, it showcases rare books, artworks and other materials that explore Dante’s seminal poem The Divine Comedy, its context, themes and ongoing influence. The exhibition features incredible works from our collections by artists and authors such as Sandro Botticelli, William Blake, Gustave Doré, and Salvador Dali – and  Australian artists such as Sydney Nolan, Bruno Leti and Angela Cavalieri.

Explore the online exhibition

700 Years of Dante Alighieri: Representation, Reception, and Legacy

Faculty of Arts Exhibition, Ground Floor, Arts West Building

The 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s death is celebrated in Italy and globally. The great Florentine poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) is considered the father of the Italian language. Every year, the Italian Studies Program at the University of Melbourne offers a subject on the work of Dante (To Hell with Dante). This subject provides students with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth analysis of the Inferno and to appreciate its linguistic tradition, historical context, and critical reception.

Our colleagues in Italian Studies in the Faculty of  Arts have staged an exhibition, 700 Years of Dante Alighieri: Representation, Reception, and Legacy, currently on display on the Ground Floor of Arts West. The exhibition features Special Collections holdings relating to Dante Alighieri and his iconic poem, The Divine Comedy.

Discover the exhibition in person and hear Elisabetta Ferrari, Lecturer, and Andrea Rizzi, Associate Professor, from Italian Studies speak about the exhibition here.

Glass display case, featuring rare books, on a printed background in a foyer space

80 Years of Meanjin

Online exhibition

80 Years of Meanjin is a collaboration between Archives and Special Collections and Meanjin, using our collection of Meanjin material to celebrate the literary magazine's 80th year.

Visit the exhibition

Past Exhibitions