One of Australia’s most recognizable paintings will travel west in April 2027 when Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles goes on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia for the first time. On loan from the National Gallery of Australia, the nearly five-metre-wide 1952 painting is considered one of the country’s most significant artworks and is valued at more than $500 million. Its presentation in Perth will be accompanied by public programs, talks and community events.

Pollock’s radical poured-paint technique makes Blue Poles an especially striking work to encounter in person, where its scale and physicality become part of the experience. The exhibition also creates an opportunity for travelers to pair a major international art icon with Perth’s broader cultural scene and Western Australia’s distinctive landscape and design culture.

The Curated Take:
Some artworks are worth planning a trip around simply because photographs cannot replicate their scale or physical presence. Blue Poles is one of those works. Its arrival gives Perth a major cultural draw while offering travelers another reason to include the city’s museums and galleries in an itinerary.