Melbourne’s NGV is well-known for putting on a summer blockbuster show; from the recent David Hockney: Current to the sprawling Melbourne Now a few years back, there’s always a drawcard to spend some of your precious summer weather inside the gallery.

Last month the gallery announced its most ambitious summer exhibition yet, with the NGV Triennial – featuring the work of 60 artists and designers across 30 countries. The massive exhibition is set to take over all four levels of the NGV International, spanning technologies, architecture, animation, performance, film, painting, drawing, fashion design, tapestry and sculpture.

The free exhibition is intended as a comprehensive celebration of contemporary art and design across cultures, scales, geographies and perspectives, bringing together key international contemporary artists like Yayoi Kusama alongside some of Australia’s most recognisable names like Ben Quilty and Ron Mueck.

With the exhibition planned to return every three years, this inaugural edition is sure to set the bar high for an immersive contemporary art experience this summer, one that has potential to become a cornerstone event for the NGV and Melbourne’s passionate art scene.

Across the wide collection of artists and designers on show, five conceptual themes were identified to frame the exhibition content: body, change, movement, time and virtual.