All works courtesy the Ergas Collection

The Ergas Collection is a unique concept in Australiasia.  It's purpose is to support young and yet-to-be recognised Australasian artists in the earliest phases of their careers, offering assistance to support artists who have developed their practice independently of traditional educational paths or who remain outside the art world mainstream. The EC currently contains over 250 works.

As a non-profit organisation, that offers a comprehensive and varied service, the EC generates funds through creating access to the collection including a loans service, curatorial consultation and professional advice to individuals, companies, museums, and corporate organisations.

The EC has financially supported a number of innovative and challenging exhibitions of work both in Australia and abroad. Recent projects include Otherworldsother news at Starkwhite, Auckland, New Zealand (curated by Aaron Seeto) and travel assistance to artist Christian Capurro whose work was recently included in the 52nd Venice Biennale. In 2008 the EC is supporting the Next Wave Festival in Melbourne as well as number of other curated projects in Melbourne and New Zealand. 

The Ergas Collection was founded by Henry Ergas, one of Australia's leading economists, who has been a significant philanthropic supporter to a number of cultural institutions and whose practice of using his private capital to assist other business owners to achieve success, is behind the concept of this emerging art collection.

The exhibition at Gallery 9 includes works from artists based in Melbourne and Auckland and in some cases is the first time these works have been shown in Sydney. It also demonstrates the depth of the collection from ephemeral works such as Charlie Sofo's watermelon to the dynamic paintings of Trevelyan Clay through to works using media by Kate Just and Silvana and Gabriella Mangano