CANBERRA.- The National Gallery of Australia presents Silently Stirring, on view through June 8, 2009. Animals and beings (real and mystical) are not just depicted by artists for their beauty, but also because they are great symbols and vehicles for transformation. Many artists are attracted to ideas of movement, change and transformation, and animals and beings are favourite subjects when depicting these ideas in works of art. Silently stirring explores these themes through prints, drawings, photography and sculpture from the national art collection.

To prepare these animals and beings for this exhibition, they are roused from their slumber, ears flickering and sleepy eyelids blinking. The wings of flying foxes rustle, a cat peers through hooded lids and the tendrils of a jellyfish begin to sway. These beings and animals are checked, measured, conserved and researched by staff so that they are prepared and ready for display.

The national art collection includes many marvellous creatures that are silently stirring in the shadows.