Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan
International loans to Geelong Gallery may be eligible for protection under the Commonwealth Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Act 2013, which generally protects borrowed cultural material from seizure, forfeiture or legal proceedings while on temporary display in Australia. These provisions will apply to eligible inward loans, subject to Geelong Gallery’s pending approval as an approved borrowing institution under the Act, currently under application.
The Act was established by the Australian Government to support the future of international cultural exhibitions in Australia by encouraging international lenders to lend works for temporary public exhibition in Australia.
Further information about the Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Act 2013 and Scheme can be found at Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan Scheme | Office for the Arts
To ensure transparency and accountability, works the Gallery is borrowing from overseas and fall under the Act are published on the Gallery’s website. Information about currently protected loans is provided on this page. Details, images and information relating to protected works will be published on the Gallery’s website at least four weeks prior to the loan entering Australia and will remain available until the work has left the country.
If you wish to make a claim or enquiry about any work of art published on this page, please contact info@geelonggallery.org.au
Claims and Enquiries Regarding Borrowed Works
To assist Geelong Gallery in responding to claims or enquiries relating to the ownership or provenance of works proposed for international loan, please provide:
- your name and contact details;
- if acting on behalf of another person, their details and your relationship to them;
- a summary of the claim or enquiry;
- any relevant supporting documentation or evidence; and
- acknowledgement that Geelong Gallery may inform the lender of the enquiry and share relevant information in order to assess the claim.
Geelong Gallery will consider all claims and enquiries carefully and may require up to 28 days to respond. Assessment may include review of supporting evidence, consideration of related claims in other jurisdictions, and, where relevant, examination of the work’s provenance and custodial history, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural material.
This process applies only to claims or enquiries concerning the ownership or provenance of works borrowed from overseas for temporary public exhibition. For general enquiries about works of art, please contact Geelong Gallery directly.
Upcoming and Current Loans
Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel