'Antarctica is Melting' presents a powerful selection of black and white photographs by Australian wilderness photographer David Neilson, drawn from six journeys to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic between 1990 and 2009.

Across images of ice, rock, sea and sky, Neilson captures the scale, beauty and atmosphere of one of the world's most remote regions. His photographs are quiet and carefully observed, inviting viewers to slow down and spend time with a landscape many people may never see in person.

The exhibition also carries an urgent environmental message. Antarctica is often imagined as untouched, distant and beyond human reach, but Neilson's work reminds us that even this vast region is being reshaped by climate change. The images offer a way to reflect on what is happening in the far south, not through statistics or headlines, but through attention to place, texture, weather and light.

For Hobart, Antarctica is not simply a distant continent. It's part of the city's maritime identity, connected through vessels, research, institutions and the working waterfront. In this context, 'Antarctica is Melting' speaks directly to Tasmania's long relationship with the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic region.

The exhibition invites visitors to consider Antarctica as both a place of extraordinary beauty and a region whose future is closely tied.

What's on:

Events and points of interest around Hobart.

13 Aug 2026 - 15 Aug 2026
Saplings | By Hannah Belanszky
Saplings tells the story of four vulnerable young people who come face to face with Australia's youth justice system.
1 Aug 2026 - 31 Aug 2026
Hadley’s Art Prize
Presented by Hadley’s Orient Hotel, the Hadley’s Art Prize, Hobart is an annual, acquisitive Australian landscape prize, which offers $100,000 to the winning entry.
13 Aug 2026 - 16 Aug 2026
Mount Pleasant Radio Telescope Tour – Beaker Street Festival
Join Dr Warren Hankey for a guided tour of the Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory, one of Lutruwita/Tasmania's great hidden scientific treasures. Explore the observatory's famous
7 Aug 2026 - 1 Nov 2026
Antarctica is Melting: photographer David Neilson
'Antarctica is Melting' presents a powerful selection of black and white photographs by Australian wilderness photographer David Neilson, drawn from six journeys to Antarctica and
1 Mar 2022 - 31 Aug 2027
Phoenix Creations Wooden Spoon Carving Workshops
Welcome to a day of creative mindfulness with David and Michelle of Phoenix Creations in their small Cygnet studio.
5 Aug 2026 - 6 Sep 2026
CoLab Exhibition – Beaker Street Festival 2026
Through Beaker Street's CoLab initiative, students work directly with local scientists, visiting their labs and field sites, to create artworks inspired by their research.
5 Aug 2026 - 6 Sep 2026
Science Photography Prize Finalist Exhibition – Beaker Street Festival 2026
Each year, the Beaker Street Science Photography Prize celebrates extraordinary images that reveal how science shapes our understanding of the world.
31 Jul 2026 - 26 Sep 2027
Becoming Modern: Mid-century Australian Art
This large-scale exhibition brings together paintings, sculpture and works on paper, highlighting figuration, abstraction, and foregrounding works by Tasmanian women artists.
31 Jul 2026 - 18 Oct 2026
EXPOSED LANDS: 100 Years of Tasmanian Landscape Photography
This exhibition is a survey of 100 years of photographic history depicting Tasmania's nature, sharing perspectives of the island.
31 Jul 2026 - 1 Mar 2027
The World of Seashells
This exhibition celebrates the natural beauty of seashells and the enduring sense of wonder they inspire.
All events